What The Water Gave Me
by P-Artsypants
Summary: The sea is a wild and dangerous thing, something that cannot be foretold or predicted. Hiccup discovered this many years ago, in human naiveté. Yet, what was meant as a sacrifice became a new life, one like no one could comprehend. He now finds himself once more in the unknowing hands of those that sentenced him to death. He only prays things will be different this time. Merman!AU
1. Prologue

Hello friends! It is so wonderful to see you all again! This story was born of my childhood fascination with Mermaids. I hope to make something original, and not a copy of 'The Little Mermaid.' Hope you enjoy!

The guide is the same, I'll update on tuesdays (US) and if you have any questions feel free to PM or Review!

Find me on Tumblr!

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_Sympathies exist. Presentiments and signs that baffle our mortal comprehension. To dream or to see or to feel or to hear, what seems not to be there. But such things exist, things beyond this earth, things beyond our sacred thoughts of heaven. These are the things that reason defies._

_But reason sometimes lies._

Once upon a time, a boy was born under Moorland skies, at sunset. Splashes of red hues painted the sky, while vibrant viridian shone like beacons from his eyes. His tuffs of soft hair were colored with dull reds and browns like the earth, as his pale skin dusted with freckles. He was small, much too small, but still loved by his mother and father. Because of his size, he was dubbed Hiccup.

This is me. Or, rather, was me. I don't look like that anymore. Being thrown off a cliff has the tendency to change a person. Yes, you read that right, I was thrown off a cliff. While my normal clumsiness would have done the job just fine, I got help. Now, some of you may be outraged. "Who would throw a poor little boy off a cliff?"

My dad. My dad would.

Well, not on any normal basis, and to the best of my knowledge, I am the first and only child for him to pitch. I can't really hold it against him though. Mainly, I blame peer pressure. Being a chief has the tendency to do that. But let me start from the beginning.

I kept my bright gaze as I grew, and never stopped seeing the world with a childlike innocence. Everything was new, and good. I never said a word, never needed to, but kept my ears a tuned to every sound. I laughed often, silently, and teared up occasionally when I was upset, the perfect baby by any standards. My curiosity propelled me to walk, my stubby legs carrying me into dangerous places, but my thirst for knowledge was never quelled. I studied and observed, taking in the world around me, but even then, I still learned new things in the confined home I was kept.

I was born to the chief of the clan of the Moors, as I said. A man named Stoick and his wife, Valka. It was odd, out of all the vikings on the island, Stoick was the largest and most feared, and yet, I was the smallest babe to ever be born. With my prolonged speech development and over enthusiasm for everything, the chief and his wife both feared there was something wrong with me. And we all know what vikings did with things that where different.

No, that's not when he pitched me off the cliff! Keep your shirt on!

One night, when I was about three years old, ol' papa bear sat me on his lap and told me of the story of the Red Death. I remember it well. It was the queen of all dragons, the size of a mountain with six eyes and razor sharp teeth. All the dragon ever did was eat, and that's why the dragons had raided the island so often. He then told me that he and the tribe and hunted down the dragon, slaying it to free the other dragons from their bondage.

I sat eager, my bright eyes wide with excitement. To me, at that time, Stoick was a strong, proud warrior. He was unbeatable! As the man's story came to a close, he finished with, "Dragon's are dangerous, and can't be trusted. You must stay away from them."

This confused me. Didn't he just finish saying that he had killed the head dragon? I scrunched my eyebrows together and opened my mouth, uttering my first word.

"Why?"

Stoick was so stunned by the sound that he didn't answer my question. Instead, he picked me up in a hug and ran to find mom.

So, what was life like for a mostly mute, scrawny fishbone in viking society? Imagine a fish swimming upstream in a river full of hairy boulders wearing helmets and occasionally bashing into each other. Now imagine the river is made of fire, and the fish is a guppy. It was great, thanks for asking.

My best friend was a blonde girl, one year younger than me, named Astrid. She possessed a happy facilitation to my morbid curiosity. The girl was a catalyst, always asking questions, making me think. Still, I never spoke a word to her, but silently answered everything she wanted to know.

Astrid was much kinder to me then any other children on the island. There was my impish cousin, Snotlout, who proclaimed he would be the next chief since he was so much bigger than I. Then there was Fishlegs, a strange case, still had a thirst for knowledge…but he didn't learn, he memorized. And he never shut up, which perturbed me to _no_ end. Finally, the twins, Tuffnut and Ruffnut. They never used their brains, and mindlessly did the bidding of Snotlout. The group of us attempted to play together, but never got along. Fights always broke out for one reason or another.

Sick of my tiresome company, I befriended a terrible terror. Although, being on a island full of vikings didn't bode well with the friendship. When Stoick saw his son feeding a terror, he was enraged. He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground.

"We don't play with dragons!" He shrieked.

I distinctly remember trembling in my father's grasp as I asked with a shaky voice. "Why?"

He set me down. "Just. Don't." Was his only answer. I really hated that he never answered me. That was the point of asking questions! Oh well, the past is in the past. Moving on!

I was born at a very unfortunate time for the tribe. For whatever reason, the dragon raids had started up all over again, and right at the same time I was born.

Talk about an unfortunate coincidence. As the years progressed, the chief tried to do anything he could to get the dragons to go away. Finally, mom volunteered to go out and see what was happening on Dragon Island.

Tearfully, she collected me and proclaimed, "I must go and find out what is happening."

"Why?" I asked back, hoping for an answer.

She didn't. Instead, she smiled and kissed my forehead, bidding me farewell. "Never stop being curious, Hiccup."

That was the last time I saw my mother.

Still, I didn't let that dampen my perspective on the world. I kept on dreaming that she would come home.

Unfortunately, the dragon problem got worse. Stoick's people were starving, as destruction befell them at every turn.

It was a dark and tumulus night when they came. They banged on the door, hatred echoing through the wood.

"Kill the runt! Sacrifice the boy!" They chanted, forming an angry mob outside of the Haddock house.

Little five-year-old me hid behind my father, clinging to his tunic.

"It's going to be alright." My father reassured.

I was not so sure. I saw the contempt in their eyes. Vikings were stubborn and violent.

My father opened the door and begged with his people. I was his only child. His heir. The only thing left of his wife.

The crowd turned deaf to his pleas.

There were few things I understood from back then. My father was the greatest, strongest, and bravest. He protect me to the end. But I was confused when I was snatched up behind my father's legs and taken over to the cliff face.

As much as I meditate on it, all I arrive at is more questions. Why me? Why did it happen? Why did he allow it?

"I have been wrought with dissension, I will do as you ask of me, making this sacrifice, but know that if this is wrong, you all will feel my wrath." He spoke above the crowd.

No one spoke as he moved forward and held me out over the edge. His large hands clutched onto my ribs, the only thing that kept me from the churring sea below, the last contact I would have with my father.

"Hiccup, what is about to happen will be frightening. But, it is for the best." he tried to dissuade his fear and guilt, but to no avail.

I looked at him with my all seeing green eyes. "Why?" My voice was soft.

Seeing a man with the strength of a mountain cry tears of shame would shake any child's dreams. My father swallowed hard and resolutely held me over the edge. "Be gone, and let Odin have mercy on your soul!" Then he let go.

While that happened so long ago, I can remember it perfectly. It's a moment that haunts me at night where I jolt awake and grab at what used to be my legs. I should have been scared, terrified in fact. I was so small, and the cliff was so high. I should have screamed. But I wasn't and I didn't. The wind whistled in my ears as my heart kissed my brain. I was too astounded by the feeling to be afraid. I was almost flying.

If only in one direction.

I hit the water and instantly, the bones in my legs snapped like twigs. I didn't really feel it, as the shock from falling 200 feet to icy water consumed me. I sank like a rock, the air from my lungs rushing from my lips to rise to the surface without me. My hand reached out, aching from the frigid water.

That night, I could have died. But I didn't. Instead, the water gave me a present. I still don't know why or how. But it knit my bones and changed me. I became something stronger and more fascinating then any of the dragon fighters could have ever imagined.

I have so many questions, and I need answers. And I'm going to get them one way or another.


	2. The Heist

Glad you could join me!

Before we get into the chapter, I have a prayer request. Later today, my family and I will be leaving for the hospital. My dad has suffered with kidney failure for the last few years, and he's finally getting a kidney transplant! My aunt is the donor, so it's a huge thing for my family. Please, just keep us in your prayers and thoughts. Thank you so much!

* * *

Astrid Hofferson. A strong independent young woman at the ripe, awkward age of fifteen and a half. The town beauty, having sunshine gold hair and the attitude of a feral cat. Ever since her parents died a few years back, Stoick the Vast had been taking care of her, not having any children of his own.

Well, not anymore.

Astrid was in training for the role of the hope and heir of the Hooligan tribe, since she was the fiercest warrior, and had the brains to lead. There _was_ Snotlout, who was brave and strong, but incapable of buckling his own boots. So, since the absence of Hiccup, the title fell to the young blonde.

And she hated every minute of it.

On this particular afternoon, her and her adoptive father, along with his right hand man, Gobber, were out on a boat. The freezing wind made her sneer at the frigid waves below.

"Why are we out here again?" She glanced over to the chief. She had asked this question at least three times, never getting a word out of him. He never explained things to her. Today was no exception. When she rose in the morning he told her to grab her helmet and axe, and that they were going fishing. So far, they had been out here for three hours and no fishing had been done.

Finally, he answered, "Fishermen have reported being attacked by a dragon, but only their supplies have been taken, no damage to the ship, and even their catches have been left alone."

"That's bizzarre." She amended. Being attacked by a dragon was common, but it was usually to take the haul or for sheer sport of destroying the boats. So, just stealing cargo? No very dragon-like. Carving her name into the hull of the ship with her dagger, Astrid showed little interest in the development. It was a bit of a habit, and she was sure she had labelled almost every building in the village with her name.

"So we're going to see what's up." Gobber finished.

"Fog rolling in chief." A man named Mulch stated from the bow.

"That's odd, it's a clear day…"

"Maybe we should stay away from it?" Asked Astrid, being ignored, as usual.

"Steady, men." And the boat slunk into the settled cloud.

Astrid took her axe off her back as a shadow zipped through the clouds. There was an unearthly roar.

"Astrid, put on your helmet lass!" Gobber called.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure." She hated that thing, it was cold, heavy, and hard. It wasn't even hers. But she understood that it was for safety, so she put it on.

Suddenly, a fire ball hit the water, causing spray to come up and the fog to thicken.

"Prepare yer selves!"

For a moment, everyone waited pensively, hands gripping their weapons like a lifeline.

Then, like a storm, balls of fire consecutively hit the water, rocking the boat. A dragon, all black in color touched down on the hull for the briefest seconds, snatched a barrel, and disappeared.

"Aim for it the next time it comes around!" Stoick called.

Astrid noticed that a shadow moved behind him, much too small to be a dragon. But it was shaped like a large fish. It had leapt out of the water, grabbed a crate and flung it before disappearing with a splash.

"Stoick, there's another one!" She shouted.

"Spread out! We're catching these things!"

More fire shot into the water.

"It's just a distraction! Stay focused."

Astrid strained her eyes to see through the mist, but there were only faint shadows, and she wasn't sure if it was her target or her fellow vikings.

She heard a distinct 'Thwang,' a shout, and then a splash. Warbled laughter echoed into the distance.

"What was that?"

"Is everyone alright?" As the question was asked, the fog lifted, and everyone dropped their weapons. The entire ship had been picked clean.

"How did they do that?" Gobber scratched his beard. Then he noticed, "Astrid, your helmet…"

She reached up, and lo and behold, it was gone. Sure, she hated the thing, but the fact that these dragons were able to snatch it from her head without her noticing was enough to make her blood boil. Oh yes, they would come back, and Astrid would take care of the thieves personally. No one made a fool out of a Hofferson.

—

Slick fins cut through the water like a knife. Bubbles danced in the currents before propelling towards the surface.

Hiccup swam jovially, two crates in his grasp. Another heist had gone off perfectly.

Well, _almost_ perfectly.

Toothless was still gutturally laughing at his friend.

"Okay, so I jumped into the forestay and got launched back into the water, not my crowning moment. But hey, we lifted the chief's boat, and I got a nifty helmet out of it." He shook his head, the bucket twisting in the waves.

The dragon swung his tail back to make sure a barrel stayed with the rest.

"Human's are so stupid. I swear, they get stupider every year." The boy laughed.

His dragon companion snorted.

"Toothless, I have every right to say that." In a few moments, the duo had made it to his grotto, their home. It was a small cave on the side of the cliffs that lined Berk. The opening was about a foot in diameter and only accessible through the water. Inside though, was cozy. Just enough room for a boy and his dragon. The cave had one main limestone shelf about a foot above water that the boy had lined with wood. In the middle, he built a stone feature for a fireplace. The stone walls had nets hanging from them and from them hung various tools that had been abandoned over shipwrecks. Among them were shields, hammers, and plenty of blades of various weapons. He was well stocked. On the left side of the cave, another shelf, narrow in width, housed food and Hiccup's treasures.

"Because, you silly creature, I used to be human, but look," he waved his tail. "Fins. Human's don't have fins, Toothless."

The dragon rolled it's eyes and pushed the loot up on the limestone plateau. His boy had a tendency to make this excuse whenever the topic of humans was brought up. Obviously, he had a guilt complex when stealing.

Hiccup broke open one of the crates he had been carrying, using a dull sword. "Let's see what we have today…hmm, looks like some netting and some weighs. Ah, perfect."

Hiccup had found this grotto years before and had been slowly altering it to be the perfect haven for a merman. That's right, if you hadn't guessed it yet, Hiccup had been transformed into a hybrid, half boy, half fish. The first and only of his kind. While he could just sleep under water like all of his aquatic counterparts, he decided he didn't have to. He could breath air or water, whichever he desired. Besides, when he slept underwater, he had a tendency to float away and wake up somewhere foreign.

But that was also a problem, as he was the only one of his kind. Oh yes, mer_maids_ existed, but only the females of the species. There were no such thing as mermen…besides Hiccup. This made for an isolated life. The mermaids did speak with him and they allowed him in their community. But so many of their practices felt foreign and made him uncomfortable. He _had_ been a human, once upon a time, and how they treated humans made his skin crawl. He may not have liked them either, but he would not drown and rape them for sport.

They would never know his origins.

"Hey, lift me up." He called to his companion.

Toothless obediently raised Hiccup up so he could hook the net on the ledge. He scaled the wall and hooked it again, making a hammock that hung maybe a foot away from the fire pit.

"Perfect!" He said, crawling into it. Unfortunately, the gaps between the ropes were a bit too big, and his hand fell through, sufficiently tangling him up. "Rats." He struggled some more before looking over to the smug reptile. "Little help, bud?"

Toothless whacked the bottom of the hammock, popping him out and sending him into the water.

"Thanks bud." Hiccup shook the water from his face. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "I know!" And without the dragon's help, he climbed up on a limestone ledge and dug through older crates until he found what he was looking for, a thick wool blanket. He lined the hammock and looked to his work in satisfaction. "This will beat sleeping on the wood hands down. I have no idea why I didn't think of this before."

The dragon grumbled unhappily.

"Oh fine! Go! Get your dinner!" He waved emphatically.

The Nightfury bounded around on the shelf before diving into the water and disappearing. Hiccup rolled his eyes and climbed up to the spot Toothless had occupied. "Let's see now…" He dug around in one of the barrels they had lifted awhile back. "Smoked mutton…and yak jerky." The teen began to devour his own meal.

Hiccup had eaten his fair share of fish in his life. Even after he knew Toothless and ate them smoked, cooked, and sometimes burnt, his taste for the aquatic creatures had depleted. It made it hard to eat them too, since he bonded with them. You only make the mistake of befriending your food once. Now he left the fish to Toothless while he got the meals from the vikings. It was a fair trade off, he supposed. They throw him into the sea, he steals their food. Win win.

He had been doing this for years, usually following a ship that looked like it was full of drunkards and waited until they were all passed out. Then he would take a single barrel that would last him a week or so. As they were catching on to his trick, he figured it would be better to get as many supplies as he could muster so he could spend the harshest of the seasons in his cave with his fire breathing reptile.

As Hiccup finished licking the salt off his fingers, his loyal friend came back. Toothless climbed up on the shelf and lit his pile of wood on fire, then laid down on the embers.

Hiccup yawned and climbed up to his hammock, jumping in it to swing side to side. His tail hung over the edge.

"Today's been a pretty great day, huh Bud?" He withdrew a fork he had stuck in the wall and began to brush his much too long hair. "There was that race with the dolphin's this morning, then the flight around Breakneck Bog, and then the heist. Literally not a boring minute." He paused as he struggled with a knot. His hair always got tangled when he jumped out. He should have learned how to braid. With that sad thought, he lowered the utensil.

Toothless sensed his sadness and looked towards him. He whined.

"No, I'm okay...I just..."

He longed for companionship. Real conversation, with like minded individuals, like that girl he was friends with all those years ago, whatever her name was. Although, now she was probably adapted to whatever hogwash they were teaching up there. He honestly didn't know, and that bothered him. He wanted to learn why the humans had cast him out. Why had they sacrificed him? Why cast him into the sea as a child? It didn't make sense. But then, he supposed, humans didn't make much sense at all.

He stared at his tail, knowing it like a mother knows her child. It had been strange waking up at the bottom of the ocean. Even if it was ten years ago, the fascination with it was still brand new. His tail was the same vibrant green as his eyes. The base was the same as any other tropical fish, sharp, thick plated scales on his backside, surrounding his dorsal fin and rounded, silky scales that overlapped on his underside. But the fins, those were the spectacular part. They were wide spanning, like fans, but almost completely translucent with a tint of green to them. Running along the fans were fractals of color, bright and incremented, and unlike anything in nature. Spines acted like toes. Hundreds of them ran the thin webbing and created movement.

He rested his tail back over the edge with a yawn.

"Goodnight Toothless."

The dragon warbled back.

—

It had been three days since the heist, and Astrid was determined to catch whatever lifted the ship. It had taken her days to come up with this plan, but she was sure this would get it. She talked it over with Fishlegs and Gobber, who spent their time brainstorming and designed a practical trap. It would be simple. Bolt the cargo to the ship, so it couldn't be lifted. Then, when one of the creatures attempted to lift it, they'd be thrown off balance, and onto a net. Any motion would release the weights and trap it. It was based off an old dragon trap, called a netter, but this was a more secure and sophisticated version. If anything would catch the thief, it would be this.

It was a whole other matter when she consulted Stoick about it.

"No, absolutely not. You are not going back out there!"

"Oh come on! Someone has to stop this!"

"We will, but you're staying here. The villagers are talking about a curse and I am not subjecting you to it!"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Stoick, I thought you were better than listening to old wives tales. It only steals cargo, it doesn't hurt anyone!"

"But what if it does this time?"

"Why are you such a coward?!"

"I am not a coward!"

"Then let me go!"

"No!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"Are you calling your guardian ridiculous?" He warned.

"No, I'm calling my chief ridiculous."

He scoffed.

"Give me one good reason why I can't go out there!"

The great man narrowed his eyes at her and said evenly. "I'm not losing another heir. Not to the water."

His declaration stunned her, but she smiled. "That's a better excuse. I'm still going."

Stoick rubbed a hand down his face.

"Look, I won't go alone." She amended.

"Who's planning on going with you?"

"Uh...the trainees?"

He shook his head, dolefully. "I'd rather you go alone then go with those knuckleheads."

Astrid exasperated. "I understand, and...to extent I agree with you, but I need them in order for this plan to work."

He huffed. "So determined." He hesitated, but he studied her resolved stature. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes, go." He waved her off, half-hearted.

"Thank you, I promise I won't let you down." She nodded. Without another word, she jogged down to the village.

Stoick sighed as he watched the girl jog away. She was so determined, so stubborn. For the most part, it was dangerous, but she had a big heart, especially for her tribe. She would make a valuable chief one day. After a bit more training of course.

About an hour later, the chief's personal ship was preparing for launch. While most of the crew worked on the standard procedures, Astrid made herself busy with setting her trap, with the blacksmith's apprentice to help.

"So...what are we looking at?" Asked Snotlout, punching his palm.

"One thief is a dragon, I know this for sure. I'm not sure what the other thing is." She admitted, tightening a knot. "But, it's smaller. That's what we're going to catch."

"Let it be known that I think this is a very bad idea, and I'm just here because I was too afraid to say no." Fishlegs spoke up.

"Oh, come on Legs," the leader of the group smirked. "This is the chance to be apart of the discovery of a lifetime."

"Or a horribly painful death, you never know." Tuffnut shrugged.

"Thank you, Tuff, that makes me feel so much better." The tubby boy rolled his eyes.

Astrid smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Tuff, I say this with the greatest respect." She then frowned. "Zip your howling screamer."

Snotlout snorted.

"No one is going to die." Astrid restated firmly. "Now, help me get this net up. I want a fish fry for dinner, boys."

—

He exhaled strongly from the rock he perched upon. "What a beautiful day for relaxing in the sun." Hiccup stretched out in the warm rays, drying himself from the frigid water he was forced to wallow in. The sun was something he was not graced with on most occasions. Seafolk stayed out of it's rays to remain unseen and to keep from drying out. But this unspoken rule always went ignored by the fish boy. It was not like anyone would scold him anyways. While sunning himself on a rock had it's perks, nothing could compare to the feeling of flight.

But that was a rare treat he only indulged in every once in a while.

This winter was going to be miserable. Holed up in his grotto, the surface frozen solid. No sun. No warmth.

Luckily, his best friend was a fire breathing reptile.

A shadow passed by overhead, followed shortly by a low chattering. Speak of the devil. Hiccup peeked up to see the dragon land on the rock next to him.

"What's up, bud?"

Toothless shook his head, snorting, and then nudged him.

"What?" Sitting up, he looked around and saw a boat in the distance. "So?"

Toothless bounded him around him, excited.

"You want to lift it? It looks that good?" He peered over and squinted. "I bet it's the chief's ship, trying to get a look at us again." He smirked. "Well, what do you say, bud? Should we give them what they want?"

Toothless nuzzled him happily.

"Get your shots ready, this is going to be fun!"

Steeling himself for the cold, Hiccup slipped into the water without so much as a splash.

Toothless was not as graceful.

The duo raced through the murky depths, aiming for the ship. When they were still a little ways away, Hiccup signaled Toothless to start up his heat.

Opening his mouth, hot bubbles exploded out and boiled the water, creating a cloud of steam on the surface. He swam around, widening his cloud before breaking the surface and taking off into the sky under cover.

Now Hiccup just had to wait. He dove deeper, raring himself to go. Three blasts hit the water, making the steam above even denser. After a few moments, another two blasts hit the water, and he knew it was time. His fins cascaded through the currents, propelling him up and up until he broke through the surface. He spotted figures on the boat, and leapt to grab a crate that sat towards the front.

As he pulled on it, he was thrown forward as the box was much heavier than he anticipated. He flopped helplessly on the deck with a 'ouf'. Luckily, the crew hadn't noticed yet as Toothless kept them occupied. All he had to do was get to the edge of the boat and pull himself over.

However, when he attempted to move, a trigger was released. He suddenly found himself up in the air, spinning. A net wrapped around him, along with a rope that twisted tightly and burned his skin. He dropped from the trap and fell hard back onto the deck. A canvas covered him from sight.

He squirmed, wrestling with the bindings, but only made them tighter. Turning attentive, he heard Toothless shoot the final plasma blast, signaling that he was retreating. He heard the dragon roar one last time into the distance and his heart sunk. He hadn't noticed that Hiccup had been captured.

"Quick, we need to get out of here!" A woman's voiced called sharply.

"Did it work?"

"Yeah! But we need to leave before that beast comes back!"

The longboat gave a sudden lurch and Hiccup knew he was in trouble. This isn't what he wanted when he hoped for a human encounter.


	3. The Catch

Thank you all for the kind reviews! This week has been a nightmare, so your uplifting words have been such an encouragement! My father was discharged yesterday and will be coming home later today! I'm so excited!

Cool thing that happened, my dad is a worship leader and my aunt, his donor, is a choir teacher. When she felt good enough to move, we put her in a wheelchair and rolled her into the room. At the same time, a woman next door started singing, "Amazing Grace!" Oh, were there tears! It was so cool!

So, yeah.

* * *

There wasn't much talking going on among the crew. Only the sound of the occasional grunt of rowing was heard. Hiccup laid under his cover, his forehead against the deck. He tried to stay still, to keep the rope from tightening, but it was difficult. He knew he had abrasions from them already, and it was becoming hard to breathe.

"So, are we just going to wait until we get to Berk to look at this thing?" One asked.

"No, you're right. Let's uncover it." He heard footsteps.

"Now that the danger is gone, I'm kind of curious."

"You can barely sit still, Fishlegs."

"I wonder if it shoots acid."

"Yeah, something that would melt your face off!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Humans, so predictable.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the canvas that covered him, and he shut his eyes tight, steeling himself for the impending reactions. The cover was removed and the crew gasped.

"Is that a—…"

"No way!"

"It's a…"

Hiccup swallowed hard.

"Mermaid…"

_What!_ Really, he should have been scared, but he was much to indignant at the term.Granted, he did have a slim figure and long feminine hair, but he would not be confused for a girl! At the name, he writhed in the netting and managed to flip himself onto his back. Thankfully, he removed pressure from his chest, allowing him to breathe.

"Oh, it's a…merboy. Man. Merman." Someone corrected.

_Thank you…_Hiccup breathed harder, his efforts straining. Footsteps came closer and he flicked his gaze up to the approaching form. It was a young woman, golden hair, shouldering an axe. She knelt near him, studying him with an piercing gaze. Cerulean met viridian, like the sky meets the earth. Blue was threatening, green was terrified.

A dark haired boy spoke up. "I say we kill him now!"

Hiccup gulped in terror, and it didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. "No, we take him back to Berk." She declared, finally looking away.

He would have rather died.

"Oh come on! He's a thief! And he's not even part of our tribe!"

"Do you understand anything, Snotlout!?" She barked back. "This is not any ordinary thief. This is a mermaid."

"Merman." Tuff corrected.

"Whatever! Legend says if you treat one poorly, they'll curse you! I'm not superstitious, but I just caught a creature that isn't supposed to exist, so I'm not risking anything. Understood?"

"Yes Astrid."

_Wait, Astrid? _The fish boy perked up at her name. It was! The same Astrid he knew all those years ago! And Snotlout! The twins! Fishlegs!All of his childhood friends!

Talk about ironic.

It was Fishlegs who was staring at him the entire time Astrid condemned Snotlout. He waited to tap her shoulder before he said softly, "L-look, his-his fin…" he pointed.

Concerned, Hiccup lifted his tail to examine it. It hurt to move especially with how tight the rope was. His eyes caught it though. He stared in horror.

His left tail fin and been completely ripped off. Where a beautiful blossom like fin had previously floated in the breeze, now a chunk of fleshly meat remained. Scales were shredded around the remains. He had ripped his tail fin before, but it grew back. Fish can do that. But this…this was far worse. His lips trembled at the sight. The rope had been so tight that he hadn't even felt it. Blood coated the end of his tail and dripped on the deck.

These humans had sentenced him to death. He wouldn't be able to swim without that fin. If they threw him back into the water, the blood would attract sharks. There was nothing he could do now. He was done for.

"Oh great…" muttered Astrid.

Hiccup jumped at her voice, now completely terrified. He flopped around helplessly, hissing and growling. A loop in the rope caught him around the neck, and as he fought, the more it rubbed his skin raw and made him choke.

"Calm down!" Astrid commanded, standing in front of him.

It didn't calm down his heart or stop his frantic breathing, but he stopped thrashing at least.

"Ruff, Tuff, get a barrel and fill it up with water. Fishlegs, get some medical supplies from the bow, and Snotlout…try not to do anything stupid."

The teens followed her instructions as she knelt by the merman, brandishing a knife. He trembled at the sight and tried to back away.

"No no, I'm not going to hurt you." She soothed, resting a hand on his head.

He gulped hard and clenched his eyes shut. He hoped he could trust her. The ropes binding him slackened as she cut through them with the knife. The one on his neck was the first to go, allowing him a long breath. "Sure was a good trap…" She muttered to herself.

When his arms were free, he started pulling at the net to get it off, but it caused tension on his scalp.

"Ugh, your hair is tangled in it." The girl told him. "I'm going to cut it lose."

He stopped squirming and allowed her to free him. His auburn locks fell away, making his head lighter. The hairs landed on his shoulders and made them itchy, but he didn't touch them. He supposed the hair cut was a good thing. His hair wouldn't get tangled anymore, and it was about time he started to look like a boy. Still, it was like he was loosing a symbol of his freedom.

"We got the barrel." Tuff announced as the two lowered it on the deck.

"Good, help me with this, will ya?" She held up the netting.

The three worked on it until the merman was free. It was then that pain shot up into his tail from his missing fin. He shrieked in agony and wriggled away from the teens, grasping the wound, more blood spurting out.

"Stay still!" Astrid commanded again, grabbing his arm.

He didn't heed as he hissed at her.

Irritated that this thing was being such a nuisance, Astrid picked the injured creature up and dropped him in the barrel. He instantly burrowed himself so only his tail showed.

"What a baby." Snotlout remarked from his place at the helm.

"You do realize that his injury is the equivalent of his foot getting ripped off? I'm sure you'd be crying a lot harder." Astrid snapped. She wasn't sure why, but she really wanted to defend the young merman. Maybe because she felt bad for him. Maybe because she felt guilty.

She stared at the barrel, where his tail hung uselessly over the edge. Blood dripped down the side. There was no movement from the boy.

The barrel was too small for him. He laid on the back of his shoulders as his neck twisted painfully. Despite his best efforts to hide, his true form was shown. From the waist up, he looked just like them. But his tail set him apart. It made him a monster, and kept him from them.

The boy cried. Whether it was from his own helplessness or the pain that coursed through his body, he didn't know. His tears mingled with the sea water that comforted him. Now he could only wait.

Maybe, just maybe, they would let him live.

Then again, would he want to live? Mermaids were very rare and very exotic. Berk needed goods, especially with the dragon problem, so maybe they would sell him off. Heaven forbid he become a pet for a snobbish Jarl! His tears rolled faster. Never had he felt so miserable, and he feared it would get worse.

It was then that there was a great thump from outside the barrel, and the boy's curiosity was peeked. He reached up and pulled himself to the surface, only to find his reptilian guardian standing over him, growling at the humans.

The teens all had weapons raised, waiting to attack. Toothless had his teeth bared for the same occasion, but they came to a stand off, each waiting for the other to throw the first strike.

Hiccup's only hope for survival was in these humans. And if that was how it was going to be, then so be it. The boy could at least pretend to be optimistic. He reached up and tugged on Toothless' ear plate.

The dragon became much more calm as his eyes dilated. He crooned as he nuzzled his companion. In a voice too soft for the humans to hear, Hiccup explained his predicament.

The humans watched in awe as the creature reached out and placated the dragon. He murmured something to it, making it whimper. His hands drifted over the scales soothingly. The dragon flicked it's tongue out to kiss his cheek, then it addressed the injured tail. It sniffed it, and then licked the loose blood away. The dragon gave one last long head rub against his friend before growling at the humans and then taking to the sky. The boat lurched with his launch, then he was gone. Just like that.

Astrid was impressed to say the least. This creature could speak to dragons, it could get them to obey. And he kept it from killing them! If there wasn't value in that, she would ship herself off as well. "Fishlegs, patch him up." She commanded after the reptile had left.

The merboy rested his nose on his knuckles as his hands gripped the edge of the barrel. He was pensive as the large boy came towards him. It had been agony to tell Toothless to leave him behind, but dragons were hated by the vikings. If he had gone with him, who knows what tortures would have awaited the dragon? Hiccup just hoped the humans would keep him long enough to heal. After that, Toothless could rescue him…somehow. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something to hope for.

Fishlegs was looking at the tail wound while Hiccup stared over to his counterparts.

"Um, could you…retract your fin?" He asked.

Like a flower, Hiccup's fin closed to a sleek needle point.

"Whoa! His spines collapse to his peduncle!"

"Too much information, Fishlegs." Ruffnut sneered.

"It's his tail." Fishlegs stated, matter-of-factly.

"'Legs, you can gawk at the pretty fishy after you wrap his wound!" Astrid snapped.

He worked quickly, bandaging the wound and staunching the blood flow.

"There, that should work for now. Try to keep it out of the water."

Hiccup just glanced up at the boy.

"So," The large boy drummed his fingers on the edge of the barrel. "What's your name? Where are you from? Do you live around here?"

Hiccup was hesitant to say anything, especially give out any information. He had to find out if they bore no ill will. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger the other mermaids or Toothless.

So he bit his lip and looked away.

"Forget it Fishlegs, he can't understand you." Tuff interjected.

If that's what the humans wanted to believe, then so be it. Hiccup sunk back down into the water so his face was mostly hidden, but he could watch the crew. His tail throbbed, but he wouldn't dwell on it.

He observed what he could. Each Viking was making themselves busy doing something. Fishlegs returned the supplies, Snotlout had the router, the twins were both rowing, even if it was a slow and steady pace. Astrid cleaned up the mess left over from the trap. And boy, was it a mess.

Hiccup could have watched any one of the humans, none we're doing anything of particular interest, but his eyes remained steadily on the blonde beauty.

She hadn't changed. She still bossed her friends around, and still had that strut. The only thing that was different, was her looks. Obviously, she had gotten bigger, fuller even. But where as he used to find her 'pretty' now he saw her as truly beautiful. He grew up around mermaids, some of the most beautiful creatures in the world, and yet this human surpassed them all.

He only really knew her name though.

"Pst, Astrid," Tuffnut whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Fishboy keeps staring at you."

Astrid glanced over her shoulder and looked at the boy. His tail shifted in the wind and his face turned pink.

"And why wouldn't he?" Said Snotlout, abandoning his post. "She _is_ gorgeous." He put an arm around her shoulders.

Without batting an eyelash, she cranked his arm over until he squeaked in pain.

The smirk on Hiccup's face went unseen.

"At least 'Fishboy' doesn't make lewd passes at me." She snapped. "Besides, he's probably only seen fishermen before. He's just curious."

"But he's only looking at you, and not Ruff, who, may I remind you, is also a girl." Fishlegs piped in.

"I don't know," shrugged Tuffnut. "I wouldn't stare at Ruff for too long. Might turn into stone."

The male twin received a punch to the face for that comment.

Hiccup conceded that Vikings were violent in all aspects of their lives.

Snotlout was coming closer to the barrel and rested an arm on the edge. "We'll teach you all you want to know about humans."

"He can't understand you!" Tuff shouted, again.

"Want to see my feet? Bet you haven't seen those before!" Snotlout kicked off his boots and impressively rested his heel on the edge of the barrel. "See? These are toes! TOOOOEEEESSSSS…" He drawled, pointing at the nubs.

Hiccup had recoiled as far back as his containment allowed as he sneered at the offending body part.

"Snotlout, stop scaring him." Astrid scolded. "He's already traumatized, we don't need to make it worse."

"Yeah really, look at his face!" Tuff laughed. "Snotlout's feet may smell like cheese, but they certainly don't taste like it."

All the teens, including Hiccup, looked at him incredulously.

"What? You guys never had those days?"

Snotlout had yet to remove his leg, mostly because it took quite a bit of effort to get it up there. With a loud whistling sound, Hiccup squirted water in his face. Snotlout sputtered.

"I like him, can we keep him?" Fishlegs smirked.

Snotlout glared at the merboy. "You're lucky you're already injured."

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Alright, no more messing with the merman until Stoick has a say so."

At his father's name, the boy sunk deeper into the water in dread. He most certainly did not want to see him. But then again, if his father recognized him, surely he would help, right? After all, it didn't seem to be his idea to throw him in. Maybe this could be his chance to get the answers he had been looking for. Maybe, just maybe.

"Coming up on Berk!" Fishlegs announced.

Just like that, dread coursed through his body. What could happen?

"Prepare to dock," Astrid commanded.

Hiccup bit his lip. He had been preparing since the island was in sight.

The boat slunk into its port. On the dock stood a group of villagers. Apparently, the news that the teens were going out to hunt the mysterious thief had spread, and now the curious villagers were eager to hear anything.

Unable to take the pressure, Hiccup dove back down under the water, only his injured tail visible.

Astrid hopped off first.

"So? Any luck?" Stoick asked, grateful that his heir had returned safe and sound.

"Yep, and you're never going to believe it." She smirked, a hand on her hip.

Snotlout and Fishlegs heaved the barrel over the edge and set it on the deck.

"Beard of Thor! That is one mighty fish!" Gobber gasped, leaning closer.

"Except it's not a fish." The blonde victoriously quirked an eyebrow. She lifted her leg and tapped on the barrel three times with her heel.

Shyly, Hiccup emerged very slowly, his eyes darting around the astonished crowd.

"Well, wouldja look at that!" Gobber spoke first. The villagers broke into whispering and chattering while the chief examined the boy.

"They exist…" He murmured softly. Then he glanced at the tail. "Get caught in the rigging?"

"Yeah, the trap worked a little too well." Astrid admitted.

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "And what of the dragon?"

"That's the thing!" Astrid placed her hand on Hiccup's head. "It landed on the boat, ready to attack and take him away, but he talked to him, petted him, and the dragon left us in peace! I think— I think he can train them."

Stoick scratched his chin.

"He'd fetch a pretty penny in the trade!" Spitelout offered up.

"I don't know Stoick, treating a mermaid badly is sure to bring the wrath of the gods! We're better off letting him go."

A voice cried out over the crowd. "Siren! Witch! Demon!" It was Mildew. "Cast it into the sea! It brings evil and will curse us! We don't need any more problems!"

"We should cast _you _into the see, you old badger!" Gobber snapped back.

"Heed my warning! Release him!"

"But his tail—!" Astrid protested.

Stoick held up his hand to silence them. He stepped towards the boy of the water and surveyed him. For some reason unknown, he seemed frightfully familiar.

Hiccup had been running questions through his mind. What would he do, say, ask? But staring at this man in front of him made him draw a blank. His father was like a mountain, strong and ever present, but the years had worn away at him like wind and waves. He looked old. Bags under his eyes, gray hairs in his beard, and hard wrinkles around his mouth and eyebrows, from frowning too much. Ten years had been too long.

He had so many things he wanted to say, but he felt justified to say none of them. Instead, he parted his lips, and in a voice far too small for anyone else to hear, he whispered, "why?"

Stoick stepped back, his eyes wide and his face white.

"Chief?" Astrid asked.

"Stoick?" Gobber urged, shaking his arm.

The man was delusional, that had to be the answer. There was no way…the boy had been dead ten years! And now, with a tail…? There was just no way! But— That hair, those freckles, those all seeing eyes! He even had the small scar on his chin where the dragon had scratched him.

He denied it.

"Take him to the forge. Someone go get Goði to check his wounds. Make sure he's fed!" He ordered, his hand clenching tight into a fist. "We will care for him, fix his tail, and send him home! He is our guest and no harm is to come to him!"

"But, what about the stuff he stole?" Someone called.

"What about his dragon training!?" Astrid asked, grabbing his arm.

"He is pardoned of his crimes. He has served enough punishment from us! As for the dragons…any knowledge he wishes to impart on us we will take, but I will not force him into anything." With that, he started up the hill, away from the crowd.

"But why?! Stoick! You aren't making any sense!" Astrid called.

"Astrid, I tell you to always be critical of my decisions, so you can know why I make them. But for once, just do as I ask!"

"No! This is important! Answer me!"

"Because—!" He turned around fully and looked her in the eye. So much sadness of old memories had come up and sat just below the surface. She wasn't looking at her chief.

She was looking at a father.

His voice was splintering as he spoke, "he reminds me of Hiccup."

With those final words, Stoick climbed up the hill, leaving his heir in silence.


	4. The Lesson

ANNNNNDDD I'm at college. I'll try to keep updates at the same time, but I might be late for reasons. Please bare with me. Also, I will be late replying to reviews. :)

Anybody in the Grand Rapids, MI area, hit me up!

* * *

Of all the viking buildings they could have put him, he was most thankful for the forge. The building was mostly open. Large doors could swing down and close off the windows. This allowed the boy to survey the village and still see the sunset in the evening. With the openness came the cold wind in the evening, which would be cancelled by the intense heat of the glory hole. Yes, this definitely beat being up up in a house or barn somewhere.

Hiccup recognized his uncle Spitelout, though not until his name was mentioned, and Gobber, his father's right hand man, as they easily lifted his vessel and delivered him to the forge. With a nod, Spitelout left while Gobber remained.

"So, Stoick's given me a new project, aye?" He scratched his chin. "Been a long time since I done anything but sharpen swords or make weapons. Should be fun, too." He amended. "Name's Gobber. The kids say you can't understand anything I'm talking about. I don't believe them. But, I can see you're uncomfortable in your new surroundings. Take as much time as ya need to adjust. If ya need anything, just…splash around and get my attention." He grinned.

Gobber's calm and casual banter with the boy helped to sooth his nerves.

Though, as soon as he was beginning to relax, the village elder entered the shack, followed by Stoick and Astrid. The blonde hoisted herself up on a counter not too far away, to get a good look, while Stoick crossed his arms and waited.

Goði addressed the boy of the water. She stared into his eyes, glanced at his finger nails, and pried his mouth open to examine his tongue. Finally, she went to his tail and unwrapped the shoddy bandages. With the tail elevated, the blood was not pouring out so badly. But still, the fleshly gray meat of his tail was visible as the scales had been torn away. It was an awful wound. Goði dipped a rag in a clean bucket of water and pressed it to it. It stung, he would admit, but she knew what she was doing. After the wound had been washed of blood, she sprinkled a bit of salt on it. He winced as he white knuckled the barrel. She rewrapped his tail and then addressed the vikings in the room, scratching her message onto the dirt floor. Gobber translated.

"His injury heals much differently then a human's. Once the scales grow back in a few days, he'll stop bleeding. But it's likely that his fin will never grow back."

Hiccup rested his head against his arms, forlorn. That's what he had feared. He sniffed and rubbed his arm over his eyes.

Wordlessly, Stoick left. All he wanted to know was that the boy was okay, but to see him in pain…that was too much. Goði left ingredients for an herbal tea with Gobber, and then left herself.

Once the company had left, Hiccup allowed a low moan to rip from his throat. Everything hurt, especially his heart. He had seen the face of his father, but the man didn't recognize him. The disappointment was crippling and made tears leak from his eyes.

He wanted Toothless.

Hiccup buried his miserable face in his arms and wept. His shoulders heaving with the occasional sob. Only the crackling of the fire echoed in the forge as the young man mourned his losses. Loss of home, friends, and his mobility. But…according to Stoick, it wouldn't last forever. He could at least be thankful for that.

Gently, a hand rested on his damp head. He lifted his green eyes to Astrid, whom he had forgotten about.

She bit her lip, seeming to be thinking, but then gave him a half hearted smile. "I know you don't understand me…but…I—…" She stopped. Apologizing was not in her nature. In any other circumstance, she would have tossed her head up and denied that it was her fault. He deserved it, he did it to himself. But to see him like this…so weak, so hurt, something kindled inside her. Something like sympathy, maybe?

Finally she sighed, "I'm sorry. It's going to be okay." She confirmed. With that, she turned and left the forge. All whom remained was Gobber.

"You should feel honored. Astrid doesn't apologize. She's broken Snotlout's arm countless times and she even killed one of Mildew's sheep. That girl has no remorse." The man made himself busy making up the tea. "You must have made a good impression on her."

Hiccup sniffed a bit.

"Of course, Stoick was pretty adamant about you staying, she might have said that to make sure you were okay. Maybe she believes in the whole curse thing after all." He gave a steaming tankard to the lad. "Here, drink this. But be careful, it's kind of hot."

Hiccup sipped it gingerly.

"I know the truth, boy." He stated outright.

Hiccup spat out his drink.

"Mermaids are ruthless creatures. If you get on Astrid's good side, and then take her back to the water with you like you plan, well, you'll have to deal with me."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. These humans were so close minded.

"I saw it happen before, you know, when I was a lad." The man pulled up a bench to sit. "I was on a ship with some boys my age. We stole some of our parents ale and were sailing through the night. A party cruise, if you know what I mean. Everything was fine, until some pretty thing surfaced from the water and rested at the edge of our boat. I knew it was fishy, but I was kind of drunk, so I wasn't thinking so well.

"She starts singing. A pretty little tune, and immediately, the other guys were in a trance, leaning forward towards the water. I was the only one nae effected, because I don't care much about girlies." He chuckled. "I saw what was happening and POW! knocked the devil back into the water with an oar! The boys came out of their trance, but had no memory of the event. No one believed me at home either."

Hiccup looked absolutely mortified.

"So until you came along, no one believed me when I said there were mermaids. Though, as far as I know, through stories and such, there aren't any mermen…which thinking about it, doesn't make much sense, right? Ah, what do I know? You're sitting here after all, aren't you?"

The boy nodded dully. His man was making him extremely uncomfortable.

"And of course I mentioned the mermaid curse because I was cursed by the mermaid I whacked in the face. See!" He waved his arm. "She sent a Nightmare after me. He attacked me, and with one bite, swallowed it whole. I could see the look on his face, I was delicious! He must have spread the word because it wasn't a month later that another one took my leg!"

Hiccup sipped his tea, awkwardly.

"Where was I goin' with this…?" The meathead scratched his head. "Ah! Yes!" He gave the boy a hard pat on his shoulder. "I don't want to be cursed again! So I'll treatcha like my own son! Just don't be draggin' our ladies off into the bay!"

Hiccup shook his head, for the first time, actually giving the man an answer.

"Good lad! So, a tail then, hmmm? Shouldn't be too hard. I made my arm and leg, after all."

Hiccup rested his cheek against his arm with a sigh. He had been worried too much. A paranoid man like Gobber would fix him up well and have him back in the bay before winter set in. In just a few weeks, he might even get the answers he was looking for.

—

'A long day' would be an understatement. Astrid climbed the stairs to her loft in the Haddock home, and kicked off her boots. Her armored skirt and shoulder pads clunked to the floor as well. She flopped on the bed, ready to slip into unconsciousness. But to her dread, the room had become hot and uncomfortable. Pulling herself to her knees, she pushed the latch on the window open just a bit to let the cool night air in. She spared a glance outside, never tiring of the view.

The night was serene. The sun had completely disappeared under the horizon, only stars out created light to see bare silhouettes. The lake was still as the grave, the multitude of stars reflecting in it's surface. All in all, the scene looked like the heavens were covered with a blanket and spilled out in-between weaves. She rested her head in her hands and gazed at the miraculous picture.

Suddenly, there was singing. A soft tenor singing a lullaby. She peered into the darkness, searching for a face. Of course, she was silent, afraid of scaring away whomever it was. His chorus was crisp, sung with deep melancholy. His rich voice resinated across the still landscape with each note. He sounded young, not much older then Astrid, but with class that radiated even in song.

The girl gave into the subtle urges and closed her eyes as his voiced crashed over her like a wave. This sound was so crisp, so beautiful, no one in the village possessed such a voice. Is this what people say was a siren? A haunting and beautiful sound that lead sailors to their deaths? Surely, this was the voice of an god.

Before she knew what was happening, she was asleep at her window.

—

Hiccup remembered why he hated humans.

They were as dumb as rocks.

It had been about three days, and they had remembered to feed him twice. That is, Gobber remembered. The man was a little absent in the head sometimes.

The heat from the forge had evaporated a large portion of the water in his barrel, and now what was there only came up to his belly button. What water was left was filthy with his own waste. Talk about disgusting. Granted, he could survive without it for a few days, but he wasn't sure he wanted that to happen.

"Quieter than a mouse, he es!" Gobber said, speaking to a customer. "'Asn't said a word. Just sits there all calm like an' watches me work. I like ta think he's blessing' me."

Hiccup always felt awkward when that topic came up. He had no magical powers that he knew of. Nothing like the mermaids who actually did curse humans. He was only an outlier.

"Well, thanks for re-stringin' my bow, Gobber. I'll bring then chicken over tomorrow."

"Anytime Angus!" The peg-legged man saluted.

Though Hiccup dreaded how dense these vikings could be, there was one redeemable quality that he found of amazement.

How had such fragile creatures learned to so easily manipulate metal? Gobber was the master, he knew that, and no matter how many times he witnessed it, the ability to turn a hunk of rock into a masterpiece was astounding. Then Gobber would go and touch the metal before letting it sufficiently cool, and burn himself.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Yep, still an idiot.

Gobber was sucking on his wound when the door slammed open. "THAT'S IT! I can't take it anymore!" A furious voice shouted.

"What's wrong lass?"

Astrid tossed her thick braid over her shoulder and slammed her axe into the table. "It's Stoick! Usually I can just throw my axe into the trees for a while, but this…this is just too much!" She sighed. "I broke my axe too. I just need someone to talk to."

"Well, dear, you caught me at an awkward time. I have to go see Goði for a moment. But I'll be back soon, and then I'll fix your axe."

"But—…"

"Talk to him," the man jabbed his thumb towards Hiccup. "'E's a good listener. Sat through my story of the Boneknapper, and managed to look interested the entire time."

"He was probably in disbelief that you were talking to him for so long." She quirked her brow.

He waved his hand. "Bah! You wanted someone to talk to, I'm just giving you the option. Either way, I'll be back in a bit." With that, he crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him.

Astrid hopped up on the counter and crossed her arms and legs in frustration.

Hiccup watched her, his head resting on his forearms. He puffed up his cheeks and glanced around.

"It's a shame." Astrid finally said. "I have to come here and borrow my chief's best friend, because I don't have my own."

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Don't get me wrong. I have friends…those kids in the boat are…nice…but, I can't talk to them. Ruff is the only girl, but she tells her brother everything. They're both perverts anyways. Snotlout is just as bad, and he's really dense. He thinks everything I say is to be taken as flirting. And he does most of the talking, and it's always about him. Actually, he makes everything worse! Then there's Fishlegs, who's afraid of me and never knows what to say…" she rubbed her leg awkwardly. "So I come to Gobber, and sometimes the advice he gives me is not all that sound in the first place."

Gobber was right, the boy was a good listener. He pinned her with those deep green eyes that seemed to pull at her. Before she knew what was happening, her soul was pouring out of her mouth, all to this stranger. This…creature with no name, no home, no origin.

"I used to sit…at my parent's grave, and talk to them. But, after a while, I realized that they were in a different place, and couldn't hear me anymore." She scrunched up her lips. "I don't dare talk to Stoick. He's my main problem. Always hiding stuff, but still ordering me around. I guess I owe him the benefit of a doubt, since he took me in and all…" She huffed. "I just wish he'd treat me…like his daughter."

Hiccup's eyebrows rose in utter surprise, and a bit disappointment. So much had changed in his absence. His father had attempted to replace him, and managed to make someone else suffer as he did.

Astrid let out a groan as she pushed her palms to her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm saying this, you can't even understand me."

"I don't know," Gobber suddenly said, entering the shack.

Astrid jumped an inch. "You should be glad I didn't have my axe in hand!"

He was unperturbed. "I'm sure. Mutton?" The man held out a plate piled with meat.

"Uh..no thanks."

He shrugged and set the food by Hiccup, who reach out and took some, not waiting for permission. He tore into it with relish.

"As I was saying, I think he can understand us, he just chooses not to speak."

She eyed the young merman. "Then he better continue to keep his mouth shut."

Hiccup gulped.

"I don't think you need to worry about that, lass. He likes ya!"

"Oh, he does?" She smirked.

Hiccup blushed. He did find her very beautiful, and her voice was entrancing, and even then, she was the smartest human he had come across.

"He does!" She laughed. "Sorry, that's too bad."

His eyebrows furrowed in sadness.

"It'll never work. I have legs, you have fins." She teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"Besides, I don't even know your name."

He gazed down to the floor, he dare not give it.

"Well, if you aren't going to tell me, then I might as well name you myself." She pursed her lips and grinned. "How about Hiccup?"

He stared at her in something akin to horror, trying to figure out how she had guess it, and on the first try! Did she know? Did she remember? It couldn't be so!

Gobber seemed to be stricken as well. "Lass, of all names…why that one?"

"Why Gobber, Stoick said it himself. The reason he could stay was because he reminded him of his son."

"B-but—! That's so cruel, Astrid!"

"He deserves it." She sneered.

"Alright, what did he do this time?" Gobber prodded.

Astrid turned so she could lay on the counter, her ankle resting on her knee and her foot jiggling rhythmically. "I've been studying under him for how many years now? And he still treats me like a dumb child! I can think for myself! Tonight, I was trying to get out the answer out of him about this—…" She pointed at Hiccup. "Thing! But all he says is, 'you wouldn't understand' and 'don't worry about it.' Well, I'm going to be chief someday! I want to know why he does what he does! He needs to stop sheltering me!" The blonde threw her hands up in the air.

Gobber picked up the broken weapon and surveyed it. "'E loves you, ya know."

She scoffed.

"He just…wants to protect ya."

"Okay, yeah, I get it. He lost his son, and he's afraid of losing me. I get that! But harboring a mermaid is not something I can just brush aside! He won't touch the topic, no matter how I approach it, and it's so frustrating!"

Gobber worked with the axe in silence, gathering his thoughts. Hiccup gazed at both humans, trying to get an insight into the incident.

"He's right, in a way. You won't understand."

"I don't understand that a father can feel the pain of losing his son, when a boy who looks like him is caught stealing from us? Gobber, it's been ten years. Stoick doesn't remember what Hiccup looked like. He's driving himself mad!" She huffed hard and bore her gaze into the ceiling. "Our people have other things to worry about. But this_ new_ Hiccup has the chief's mind in other places."

"Lass, until you lose a child, you won't understand his pain."

She bolted upright. "What about the pain of losing a parent!? Huh? Does that pale in comparison?" She snapped at him, furious. "And you!" she turned her attention to Hiccup, "What are you staring at?! Haven't you seen someone have a breakdown!?"

Only a few days into his capture and things were already getting interesting.

Astrid was genuinely bothered by his staring. Not because it invoked that feeling of being examined like Snotlout's stares tended to, but these deep forest eyes saw right through her like no one else had. They saw through her tough act, her fake leadership, and her calm mien, and saw the scared child that remained from years gone by. He had brought out feelings and emotions that she had kept tucked away deep inside her heart. And he did it all without making a sound. She hadn't felt this raw in a long time, even Gobber looked afraid of her sudden outburst. "Stop looking at me like that!"

He didn't. Orbs of omniscience held her own, making her lip tremble.

"What, are you stupid or something!?" She yelped in a last ditch effort.

Insulting his intelligence was where he drew the line. "I absolutely am not! I'm just particular with words, and choose to utilize them only when the situation dictates."

The look on her face was priceless. "You—…you do speak! And all this time…what, are you just shy or something?"

"I told you, I only chose to speak when I need to."

Gobber started chuckling, "you lost your fin, and you're stuck in a barrel of water. Only when the lass calls you stupid do you feel the need to speak? I sense a proud one here!"

Hiccup scoffed.

Astrid stole her still broken axe from the table and held the blade to his throat. "Alright, Fishboy, start talking! Why were you stealing from us?"

His fingers curled around the crest of the axe and he moved it away from his neck. He shrugged.

"Silent game again, huh?" She kicked the barrel and toppled it over. "I don't think so!"

Hiccup sprawled out on the floor, the water dispersing into the dirt.

Mercilessly, she dropped her axe handle on his stomach. "That's for withholding information!"

"Okay okay!" He held up his hands in defense. "I was hungry!"

She sneered at him, skeptical.

"I lived my whole life eating fish, I just wanted to store up food for the winter." That was enough of an explanation for her.

And it worked, she handed her axe back to Gobber and righted the barrel. "I guess I can't be angry at someone who was trying to survive. But we didn't have a surplus of food, your theft took a toll." She poked his chest.

As if he didn't already feel guilty. The girl grabbed him by the forearms as Gobber lifted him by his tail and they righted him back in the barrel, even though it was empty.

"Do you need water?" She asked.

"Not this minute." He shrugged.

"So," Gobber interrupted. "Now that you're speaking, how about you tell us your name?"

He found this as an opportune time to lie. "Hiccup is fine." He put on his best pathetic look. "I don't have a name."

Astrid's heart clenched. "No parents?"

He shook his head.

"Where do you live?" Gobber asked.

"A cave. When I can...the winter is easier there."

It was evident that they both bought his sob story as they looked at each other. "I'll...I'll talk to Stoick, maybe he'll let you stay here through the winter. That way, you won't have to end up stealing from us."

"That would be very nice, thank you." He shyly spoke.

_Suckers._


	5. The Hiding Place

Along the shores of Lake Michigan lies a little town called Ludington. Across from the lighthouse right on the coast, there is a little motel, called the Lakeside Inn. The corner room in the back has no sunlight. The window views are all of brick walls. The beds are hard and creaky, and the TV doesn't work. The only other notable thing is the bathroom. It's small, and the door locks with a peg in a hole. The mirror is broken and there are bars on the window. There's a spider on the ceiling. The light flickers. The toilet is red from rusty water, and it only flushes half the time. The shower is cut into the cement and the drain is a hole in the floor.

This is my favorite place in the whole world. I go there once a year, on labor day, and I get my best inspiration. This year was no different. The coming chapters won't disappoint.

I also went fishing this weekend. Talk about ironic!

_Crack_. Her neck popped with her ritual morning stretches. For once, Stoick hadn't opened the window on her to blind her into wakefulness. That could only mean he had some bad news to share and he wanted her in a good mood. She dressed, and then sauntered down to breakfast.

Sure enough, the chief was writing something at the table, with bread and fruits nearby.

"Morning," she stated, placid.

"G'morning. Sleep well?"

"Yeah." She shrugged.

"Good…good…" He sipped his tea, and kept his gaze on his paper.

Astrid tore the butt end of the bread and kicked her feet up on the table. "So, spit it out. What's up?"

He chuckled. "Ever the keen one, aren't you? Alright. The Gauls are coming in two days."

She moaned loudly and threw her head back. "Not the Gauls!"

"Yes, Blackmold wants to discuss some trading issues. They'll only be here a few days."

"And let me guess, you want me to entertain Darla the Butt-faced Troll."

"_Astrid,_" He looked at her evenly. "She's not that bad."

"No? I heard she looked at a yak and it's milk curdled."

"Well, rumors aside, no, you don't need to worry about Darla. I have a much more important assignment for you."

—

In hindsight, she was getting the good end of the deal. But, she made sure Stoick knew she was unhappy about it.

But really, babysitting a merman? Compared to spending three days with Darla the Disagreeable, it would be like a vacation. As she made her way to the forge, she tried to think of the positives. She'd get time away from her nagging guardian, she'd get to learn more about the mermaid culture, and she might even make a friend.

The last thought was laughable, who'd want to be her friend?

Entering the forge, she found Gobber working away, but no merman, nor his barrel. This was particular. "Hey Gobber, where's Hiccup?"

"Oh, morning lass! Ah, the twins and Snotlout came by and offered him a tour of the village. Quite nice of them, don't you think?"

She smacked her forehead. "That didn't seem the least bit suspicious to you? This is the twins and Snotlout we are talking about!"

"Well…"

"Never mind, where did they go?"

"I suppose into the village. They put him on a cart and wheeled him out."

Astrid sighed loudly. "I better go hunt them down before they kill the poor boy."

Into the village she departed. As she passed others, she asked them if they had seen the pranksters and their mysterious new guest. Each time, she was pointed into a different direction. Really, these kids would be the death of her.

It had been four days since Hiccup had been captured and brought to the forge. Rumors had passed through the village. Half of them expected the whole island doomed. The others were hopeful that the Dragon problem would be solved. All in all, no one was quite sure how to deal with a mythical creature living among them. But for the most part, they kept their opinions to themselves, and away from the chief's heir.

Astrid made her way up the hill. "When I find them, I'm going to—…" She couldn't finish that sentence though, as she heard a loud scream. "Oh no!" She darted up the hill before a barrel came rolling down at a dangerous speed.

"AAAHHHAaahhhhhAHHHHHaaaahhhhAAAHHHH!" Screamed the head sticking out from the top.

"Hiccup!"

"Look out below!" Snotlout laughed from the top of the hill.

Astrid had just enough time to dart out of the way before he zipped passed and almost plowed her over. The boy zoomed through the village, making the villagers scream and duck out of the way. Astrid grimaced as she watched him launch into the air with every bump in the road.

"Hang on, Hiccup!" She called, running after him.

There seemed to be no stopping for the boy as he continued farther and farther down the hill. Amazingly, he avoided buildings and every obstacle that would stop him. But, unfortunately, that meant he _couldn't_ stop. Onward he rolled, passed the gate, down the rampart, over the docks, before shooting off the end and careening into the water. Astrid made it down to the docks just as he splashed into the surf.

"Hiccup!"

Laughing came from behind her as the twins and Snotlout finally caught up with them.

"Oh man! That was better than expected!" Tuffnut cackled.

Provoked, the blonde decked the male Thorson twin. "What is wrong with you idiots?! He can't swim!"

"Um, contrary to popular belief, I can." The gathered teens looked to the source of the voice, where Hiccup was hanging onto the edge of the dock. "I still have use of my arms. My tail just makes me go in circles." And he knew from previous experiences of ripping his tail that that was the result.

She shook her head and berated the pranksters. "Still, you should know better than being so cruel."

"Aw, we didn't hurt him. He'd thought it was fun! Right, merman?" Snotlout asked.

The look on Hiccup's face answered that question simply. Under his breath, he spat out, "My name is Hiccup."

"Well, whatever, it was just good clean fun."

Suddenly, a booming echo shook the deck. "**Astrid**!"

"Great," the girl muttered under her breath.

"What's the meaning of all this yelling? What's going on?" The large man glared at the teens.

"Ah, nothing chief." Tuffnut waved off.

But Stoick was livid. "I wasn't talking to you, Thorston!" His gaze only flicked over to him briefly. "Astrid, why were you calling out 'Hiccup'?"

Astrid stood her ground, her hand balling into fists. "That's his name."

A long few tense moments passed as the man studied the merman. His thoughts went unknown to the others.

Astrid broke the tension. "I named him. I named him Hiccup."

Nostrils flaring, he turned to her. "Of all the names—…"

"You said so yourself that he reminded you of your son! And, what, you're yelling at me for giving him a name!?"

"He's not a pet Astrid."

"I know! So you should be yelling at them! They pushed him down the hill! He didn't have anything, I thought it was at least a curtesy to call him something other than 'Fishboy'!"

He shook his head, "you don't understand!"

"Then enlightenment me!"

Stoick scowled and shook his head.

"Fine! If you want to be illogical, be my guest! I know my job, so you don't need to worry about me bothering you for the next few nights!" She snapped back.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!" Astrid shrieked back, desperate to have the last word.

Stoick huffed. "I don't want to see you for the next three days. Pack your supplies, and get out!"

"It'll be my pleasure," She hissed in reply.

Stoick allowed her the last word as he headed back up the hill.

"Whoa, harsh," Tuffnut chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "He wants me to take care of _him_ while the Gaul's are here." She jabbed a thumb at Hiccup.

At the tribe's name, all the teens shuttered. "Not the Gauls!" Snotlout moaned.

"Does that mean Darla's coming?"

"Yep."

They collectively groaned.

"She smells like yak milk slathered on a dead chicken that's been left in the sun too long."

"Her voice makes my soul cry!"

Astrid sighed, "Yeah, I know, but I have to stick her with you guys. Chief's orders."

"And Darla's just supposed to accept the fact that you ran away?"

She laughed, "Yeah right, Stoick's covering for me. Saying something like I'm visiting a neighboring island or something. I don't know, but I'm not worrying about it."

"Why do _you_ have to watch him? Can't Gobber take care of it?" Asked Snotlout.

She shrugged. "The Gaul's might want to take him and sell him for gold or something, I don't know. He's valuable, and Stoick wants me to hide him. Besides I've gotten along with him pretty well so far." She smiled at the fish boy.

"Sounds boring," amended Tuff.

Hiccup spoke up from the dock. "You all realize I can hear you, right? Please stop talking about me like I'm not here."

Astrid smirked over at him. "You want to go back in the barrel?"

"No, I'd like to have a little fresh water, please."

"Then shut up." She stated, flatly.

Hiccup sank back down to watch with his nose resting on the deck.

"So where are you going?"

"Don't know. Maybe to the cove out by Raven's Point? Its out of the way."

"When do you leave?"

"Just have to get my supplies, then we'll be off." She rested a hand on her hip. "Think one of you morons could keep an eye on him for me? Just make sure he doesn't swim off."

"I'll do it." Ruff volunteered. "I'll jump in and tackle him if I have to."

"Good, I'll be back in an hour." She glanced over to Hiccup who seemed to have a horrified look on his face. "Relax, if they do anything, they'll be answering to me." She held up a fist.

That seemed to calm him down a bit as his tense shoulders relaxed.

—

What did mermaids need in order to survive? Water, that was obvious. Though, she would have to ask him if fresh or salt mattered. Then there was food. Gobber just fed him whatever, but the boy was stick thin, what if he ate differently? Hiccup didn't wear any clothes either, so that was off the list.

As Astrid gathered what she needed for herself, she realized how very little she knew about this creature. Then again, he hadn't spoken much, but she was determined to learn about him.

It was more interesting then learning about chiefing, at least.

With a heavy laden bag on one shoulder, and a fish net on the other, she made her way down to the dock.

She didn't know why she worried. When she arrived, Ruffnut was fast asleep on the deck, while Hiccup was laying about, sunning himself. He perked up when she arrived.

"Not too bright, that one," he declared. "She ranted that she would watch me like a hawk, but then dosed off."

"Good ol' Ruff, always dependable." She stated sarcastically, stepping over the blonde.

"So," He sat up, his single fin slapping against the wood. "How are we getting there?"

"By foot, I'm going to carry you."

He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not doubting your strength, but that can't be easy."

"Nothing is ever easy. Now, c'mon." She laid the net out so he could could roll into it. It took her a few tries, but she finally got it fastened around her shoulders, with his arms draping around her neck. She looped one arm under his tail for extra support, while the other held her bag.

"Am I heavy?" He asked, concerned.

She scoffed. "Please, I could throw you across the village." She adjusted him with a little jolt and then started up the ramp.

"Do you know where we are going?"

"You heard earlier, the cove."

"Might I suggest someplace else?"

"Is it closer?"

"Yes, and better stocked."

"Well then, sure."

"My home."

She stopped. "I hope you realize I can't breathe under water."

"Oh I know!" He laughed. "It's not under water…well, sort of, but it's dry, I promise!"

"Plenty of air?"

"Yep!"

She sighed and pulled him up once again. "Alright, we'll try it, show me."

He pointed in the direction opposite of the village. "Go that way."

"Towards the Kill Ring?"

"Oh…so that's what it is…yes, over there."

"Alright."

The hike was mostly silent, as she carried him through the village to get to the crossing bridge. He would occasionally wave hello to vikings they passed. They always gave him odd looks.

"So," She began, "Did Snotlout actually give you a tour of the village, or did he just trick you?"

"He gave me a short tour, one that led up the hill."

"Remind me to give you a proper tour later."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, I mean, you'll be here for a while. It's only fair."

At this point they had reached the bridge.

"What is the purpose of the Kill Ring?" He asked, an answer already forming in his mind.

"Just like the name eludes, we kill there."

"Kill what, exactly?"

"Well, mostly dragons, each other on occasions. For duels and such."

Oh yes, killing dragons, that's what started this whole mess in the first place. "Do _you_ kill dragons?"

"Of course! Every viking does!"

"Why?"

"Why? Well, they…" she halted, in word and stride, and considered him. "I…I don't know. They used to raid us, but they stopped, many years ago…maybe it's just a grudge…or…" she stopped her train of thought and continued walking.

"Do you hate the dragons?"

"I don't know, I never gave it much thought…" She cracked her neck. "You have a dragon, though, don't you? The black one from the ship. You trained it."

"Yes, Toothless is a good dragon. I can prove to you that dragons are peaceful creatures."

"Well, you might convince me, but I'm not so sure about the other men in the village."

"We'll worry about that later." She heard him smirk.

By time they passed the Kill Ring and headed toward the cliffs, it was already high noon.

"You can set me down here, Astrid. Take a break."

She shrugged him off and he landed on the ground, along with her bag. She swung her arms around and cracked her back. "That was enough exercise for the day." She chuckled.

Hiccup stuck two fingers in his mouth and made a long slow whistle.

Eyebrows furrowed, she stared at him. "Are you—did you just call him?"

"I did."

"No no no no, I will scale the sides of this cliff before I—…" Her tirade was cut off as a long roar echoed over the cliffside.

"It's not that bad, Astrid, you just have to let him warm up to you."

The infamous whistling that signified the presence of a Nightfury rang in her ears as she fell to the ground.

Hiccup whistled again and a dark shadow zipped passed.

"Your dragon is a Nightfury!?" She asked, astounded.

"Yeah!"

And without another word, the dragon touched down in front of the duo in a blink of an eye.

"Toothless!" The merman shouted.

The dragon didn't even notice the blonde as he heartily nuzzled the boy, huffing his hair and licking him.

"I missed you too, bud!" He heartily scratched under his chin. "But I can't stay for long…"

Toothless let out a low, slow whine.

"I know bud, but it's okay. I'll be with you the next three days!"

Toothless gave him a gummy smile and a sound lick.

"Okay okay!" He wiped his face, laughing. "But, we're taking her with us." Hiccup glanced over to his chaperone, who was still on the ground.

Toothless became more focused as he slunk towards her, and gave a large whiff. He shook his mane and twitched.

Astrid looked up to him carefully. This beast was smaller then most dragons, but it made up for it with his jagged teeth which were clenched in a growl. Toothless, what a stupid name. His pupils narrowed into slits as he studied her. Daunting as he was, the girl could plainly see he held much affection for the boy that was pulling himself onto his back.

She gulped, "G-Good dragon." She raised to her knees. "N-N-Nice dragon…"

Toothless blinked a few times, then his pupils widened, giving him a kinder look.

Hiccup scratched his side from his spot up on Toothless' back. "What do you say, Bud? Think you can carry her too?"

It would be an insult to assume the dragon couldn't handle the weight of this puny human. He huffed and lowered to the ground, allowing for Astrid to climb up.

"I—I don't know…" She fiddled with her hands. "It's a dragon after all."

"Astrid," he pinned her with those inhuman eyes and she was ready to listen to anything he had to say. "You've shown me your world, now let me show you mine." He held his hand out for her.

Nodding once, she took up her bag and climbed up on the dragon.

Hiccup laid across his back, his tail locking into a loop by Toothless' hind legs. He used hand grips behind his ear flaps to hang on. Astrid was forced to straddle his waist, right were his scales began. She held onto his shoulders and breathed. "Okay…"

"Toothless, let's take this nice and slow."

His wings unfurled gracefully around them.

"Oh, you don't want this bag to get wet, right?" Hiccup asked.

"I'd prefer it not to."

"Okay, let me hold it."

At the same time she relinquished her bag, she felt the dragon tensing beneath them. He seemed to push down farther into the earth as his back end swayed.

"Hang on!"

Screaming. She was definitely screaming, but she couldn't hear herself over the wind that rushed past her ears. "I thought you told him to take it slow!" She shrieked.

"Seems like he had other ideas!"

She peeled an eye open to see the ground very very far away from them. Dread eclipsed her soul. This merman was going to get her killed. How much higher was the beast going to go? Her stomach rose into her throat as he began a decent, much like a nosedive to the water. Onward she screamed as they rose into a corkscrew.

"Make it stop! Please!" She cried.

Hiccup, whom she was wrapped around, leaned up. She only had time to peek and see him throw her bag, before they did a summersault.

"Hold your breath!" He warned.

"What?!" But it was too late. They broke the surface of the water, and dove into the dark depths. Just as she was about to run out of air, they surfaced. Astrid coughed and gasped for air.

"You okay?" She heard Hiccup ask.

In reply, she punched him in the shoulder. "You said it wasn't under water!"

"Only the entrance is! See!?"

Astrid pushed off of him, landing in the water, then found the wood lain shelf to pull herself up. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cavern, she began to study his hovel. Light filtered in through nooks and holes in the walls, and reflected off of treasures that lined the shelfs. Weapons decorated the walls, hanging from nets. Anything you could imagine was in the cavern, making it a foreign paradise of riches. The home of a merman.

"Wow…" She breathed.

Hiccup eased himself up onto the shelf as well. "Make yourself at home! What's mine is yours! Most of this stuff probably belonged to your people anyway." He shrugged.

Toothless ignited a fire, then curled up near it to sleep.

Astrid stood, taking it all in, before the wind howled through the crevices and sent chills up her spine. "Ugh, I'm soaked! Where's my bag?"

"Up there." Hiccup pointed to a ledge under a opening, just big enough for a person to crawl through. "I threw there so it'd stay dry. It's the only other way to get in here, but it's too small for Toothless, and I couldn't pull myself up."

She nodded in understanding and began to look for grips to climb. "I need a change of clothes."

"Ah, okay. And while you're doing that, I'll just…I'll set up a bed for you."

She grunted as she pulled over the first ledge.

Hiccup pulled out another net that had not been used and hooked it between the rocks, much like he had done with his own hammock. Then he lined it with what furs he had, stretched and misshapen as they were.

When Astrid finally climbed back down, he was reclining in his own hammock, rocking slightly. She surveyed his work and was pleased.

"Nice." She amended. "It'll beat sleeping on the ground."

He grinned.

She shuffled through her bag before pulling out a pair of leggings and a shirt. "Don't look," she commanded.

This confused the boy. "Why?"

"Why? Because I'm changing!"

"And?"

"And I don't want you to see me naked!"

He furrowed his brow. "Why?"

She smacked her forehead. "Are you stupid or something?!"

"We've already established the fact that I am not, in fact, stupid."

"Then why—?" It suddenly occurred to her that Hiccup himself was naked. He didn't understand the concept of clothing, so calling him stupid when he was simply ignorant was rude and unfair. Her anger dissolved and she spoke patiently. "Humans only bare themselves to loved ones, like parents or mates."

"Oh…" He nodded, seemingly understanding. "Then excuse me!" And he flipped on his bed.

He faced the rock wall, the soft sounds of wet clothes falling on the floor was the only sound. "So, the Gauls?" He asked.

"Ugh, they're our allies. Most of them aren't so bad, but Darla…she's the worst!"

"Darla?"

"The chief's daughter, Darla the disagreeable. The chief insists on bringing her with him everywhere, even though she's awful. She's mean, and rude! Not to mention she's the size of Stoick and smells like the raw backside of a swine!"

"How pleasant." He drawled.

"And—…" She shifted in her shirt. "She's obsessed with finding me a husband."

Hiccup turned slightly, just to see her form out of the corner of his eye. "Why you?"

She laughed. "'cause she's too ugly to get one on her own."

"So, you'll have to get married at some point, right?" He asked.

She sighed, picked up her sopping clothes. "I have no desire to, but as the chief's heir, I know I will, but I'm holding off as long as possible." She was quiet for a while before sighing, "I hope he lets me pick my own."

Hiccup turned fully, noticing she was now dressed. "It must be hard, having that responsibility."

"I'm only fifteen." She stated. "I still have a few years." She straightened her back and looked around. "Can I use that spear?" She pointed to the corner.

Startled by the abrupt change in conversation, he simply nodded. Astrid took the weapon and wedged it between two rocks near the fire, then she draped her clothes over it to dry. Effortlessly, she leapt into her hammock, making it sway to and fro, and then pulled at her braid to untangle it.

"Ugh, I hate my hair! It's always tangled!"

Hiccup didn't understand. "I think your hair is very pretty." He said honestly.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to deal with untangling long hair! It's the worst!"

"Actually, you cut my long hair off…remember?"

She stopped and stared. Oh yeah, she had. "Then you know my pain, do you have a comb?"

"Comb?"

"Yeah, to brush your hair?" She mimicked the action.

"Oh!" The merboy reached over to the rocks where the fork was stuck and handed it to her.

"This is a fork."

"Yes?"

"This is for eating."

He frowned.

"Hold on, I think I have one in my bag." And she got out of the hammock. "Truly, a man is not supposed to see a woman's hair down unless he is married to her."

"Again with the rules?"

"I'll be lenient on this one. I don't care." Finding what she was looking for, she took a seat back on the hammock and began to smooth her hair as the merboy watched, his head resting on his arm.

"So," He began, hesitantly, "You and Stoick seem to have a…strained relationship?"

"Don't even get me started." She threw her head back. "The man is a terrible father. I only put up with him because I agree that Snotlout would be an awful chief."

"So…how did this all happen?"

"Well, Stoick had a wife and child, a boy named Hiccup, you knew that though, from your name."

He nodded.

"His wife left on some journey and never came back, and Hiccup was offered as a sacrifice to the gods, and then my parents died a few years later, from sickness, long story short, he adopted me."

He sat open-mouthed for a few long moments. "He offered his son as a sacrifice?"

"Yeah, I don't know all the details though. I was pretty young when it happened. I don't remember it."

He huffed, he wouldn't be getting his answers from her.

"What about you?" She wondered.

"Well…I had parents, like everyone. But then, one day, mom left…and shortly after, dad decided he didn't want me. So…then I found this cave and life goes on for the little orphan merboy."

"Can't you go live with the other merfolk?"

"Uh, I don't really…_fit in_ with them." He huffed his hair out of his eyes.

Astrid tied off the end of her braid, then nodded. "I know how you feel." She draped one leg over the edge of the bed. "I follow the rules, I live the viking life, but in the end, I feel like I'm different from them."

"You're smart." He acknowledged.

"Thanks, but that's not what I meant."

"You're beautiful."

She laughed, her face tinting strawberry. "Again, not what I was thinking of." She sighed. "Just…I don't know. You know that feeling though, right?"

He didn't really want to mention that he was being excluded for completely superficial reasons. "Uh, yeah, it's the worst." He huffed his hair out of his face again.

"I didn't give you a very good haircut, let me fix that." She sat up and took a knife from her bag. He flinched back, as any man would when a woman came close to his face with a knife. She tugged on his hair and sliced through it, and he relaxed.

As she trimmed his bangs, she asked, "Where did you find these things? Are these all from our ships?"

"No, no!" He assured. "I found most of these treasures from sunken ships. The mermaids don't really approve of saving human items, so I take them! I like learning about human culture. It's very…interesting."

"Well, I'll teach you anything that you'd like. After all, I'm stuck here for a few days, so why not?"

He grinned.

"But, you have to tell me when and how you got them, deal?"

"Deal."

She finished with his bangs and he turned around. "So, what about that shield up there? The long one with the wings on it?"

"Ah! That was a ship wreck with all sorts of treasures! Although, the ship was half burned…"

And so, Hiccup recounted his adventures to her as she cut his hair. They told stories, and both learned together about the vast world around them. When the sunlight faded, Astrid crawled into bed, and fell asleep to his sonorous voice.


	6. The Dragon

Hi gang! I appreciate each and every one of your reviews. They make me so happy inside! A recurring statement that seemed to pop up regularly, was how in the world is there supposed to be romance between a merman and human.

Who said there was going to be romance? Me? What? Haha, just kidding. Anyways, just don't worry about it. We'll get there.

Also, the next few chapters are filler before we get into the main plot. Just bare with me. :)

In the morning, Astrid awoke to sizzling meat over a fire. She blinked awake, terrified at first, but then she relaxed when she saw the merman stirring the meal.

She yawned and sat up. "Whatcha doin'?" She asked, tired.

"Oh! Good morning! Toothless caught some fish, and I thought I'd make some breakfast."

Rubbing her eye, she noticed his cooking utensils. "Is that…a breast plate?" It was. The fine silver was mostly black where the fire had scorched it, and the shape was warped. He was stirring with a dagger, too.

"Oh, is it?" He shrugged. "What's it used for?"

"It's armor. To cover the chest."

He looked down at it, and then laughed. "Well, I won't be needing that!"

She shrugged. It was true. Getting out of bed, she sat across from him by the fire. She made herself comfortable before he handed her a ceramic bowl.

"Thanks." She yawned. She watched him as he picked the food with his fingers. Shrugging, she joined him. There was nothing like fresh fish, it tasted like chicken. "This is good."

"Thanks! When you're on your own, you get good at making certain foods rather well."

She nodded in agreement. "So," She began, eyeballing the great black dragon that sat nearby, scarfing down fish. "How did you two meet?"

Hiccup smiled fondly as he tucked in his tail and scratched Toothless affectionately. "It was last winter, when that freeze froze over the ocean…"

—

A younger Hiccup swam deep under the ice. The water was chilly and unforgiving, but it was bearable the farther from the ice you stayed. The mermaids stayed far in the depths, near the heated vents along the ocean floor. He didn't have that luxury.

It was on one of these frigid evening that he headed back to his cave after a day of fruitful treasure hunting. Little did he know, he would find the greatest gift of them all.

A large black form twisted in the waves, unaccustomed to the water. It kicked up and scratched at the ice, bubbles escaping it's mouth. Hiccup watched in horror as the beast gave up, and began to sink.

It was a dragon, black and beautiful, like the night sky. Such an amazing creature was succumbing to an icy grave, and Hiccup wasn't sure if the water would be as kind as it had been to him. He abandoned his prizes and skirted over to the beast. Hands under it's great maw, the merman lifted the dragon's head, to look at him.

Great juniper eyes that glowed like his own, bored into him like a knife. Pure terror flitted across the magnificent creature's face as he continued sinking.

_I don't want to die_. He seemed to say.

A mermaid's kiss is legended to protect a sailor from drowning. It's unknown why such a thing works, but it did. Hiccup, steeling himself for the worst, pressed his lips against the cold scales that lined the dragon's mouth, and blew.

The great jade eyes slid shut gently as the reptile relaxed in his arms. Hiccup gathered the beast's head to his chest, and together they sank, coming to rest on the soft sand of the floor. The merman rubbed his hand over the smooth scales and waited, his head rested a top of the dragon's.

Hiccup, the lone orphan, the only of his kind, felt this amazing attachment to something he had just discovered. Those green eyes had been mirrors, reflecting his own loneliness, his own fears. Almost drowning was a fate he would never wish on someone, especially not this magnificent creature.

It seemed like hours passed before the large reptile roused. It was only by the warmth he emitted that Hiccup knew he was still alive. The beast blinked awake, and then came to notice he was being held.

He didn't like it.

Hiccup was pinned against a rock by a great paw on his chest. He panicked, and sucked in water, forgetting to breathe. The dragon opened his mouth, preparing to fire.

Though it took a moment, the creature realized that it was underwater, and he hadn't drowned. He roared, bubbles blasting out and into Hiccup's face.

"Whoa! Hey! It's okay!"

The dragon was startled to hear the boy's voice. But after studying him, he came to notice that this little creature had saved him from the watery grave. He looked like the humans, the weak little pests that scurried on the ground, but this one had the tail of _saltswimmys_ instead of legs. Then again, he didn't tend to water very well.

The humanoid held his hand out, ready to scratch his snout, but the dragon would have none of it, and attempted to retreat. Though, instead of going anywhere, the dragon just flipped backwards, his rear floating away. He spread his wings in an attempt to right himself, but the current lifted him and spun him again.

"Whoa! Easy! Easy…" The merman caught up with him, and held out his hands.

The dragon stopped his struggling and watched. Hiccup carefully touched his wings and pushed. The beast retracted them close to his body.

"There! Okay, now, watch me."

Those great green eyes narrowed in curiosity.

Hiccup used his arms to propel himself forward, just a little bit, slowly. The reptile copied his movements. Soon, they were scurrying across the ocean floor, practicing. Eventually, the Nightfury used it's back legs as well, and tried to race the merman. Hiccup sped on ahead and then used his tail to turn. The dragon was close behind.

On they raced, the dragon becoming faster and faster as he practiced the movements. Through reefs and ship wrecks, the great beast learned how to maneuver in this new world. And this little non-human was fun, he had saved him.

The ocean is full of mysteries and unknown dangers. Mermaid's are one of them, not many ocean dwellers would mess with the hybrids. But then, dragons don't follow any hierarchy, and food was food.

The deep blue of the Thunderdrum went unseen by the frolicking friends. That is, until he grew too close.

The Nightfury was the first to notice, alerting Hiccup with a growl. The boy grew startled at the threat, and swam farther away. Unfortunately, Thunderdrums were in the tidal class, and were much better swimmers then the Nightfury. It easily passed the land dragon to chase its pray, but the Nightfury was close behind.

Hiccup weaved through reefs and coral, anything to throw the feral dragon off his tail, but it was no use. When it came in range, it unleashed a vehement scream that rattled the boy's bones. Try as he may, he became disoriented and twisted in all directions. The predator came up and snapped at him, only catching the end of his tail fin.

Hiccup was doomed. There was no quick swimming with a damaged fin. But just as he thought his fate was set, the Thunderdrum shrieked in pain and wriggled. Hiccup darted behind a boulder and watched in fascination as the Nightfury tackled the other dragon. The fight was over soon, the tidal dragon decided the meal was not worth the effort, and he swam off.

The black dragon searched around, with a look akin to worry, before Hiccup came out.

"Hey, bud…thanks…" He spoke, wearily. The dragon gave him a concerned look before he winced. Sure enough, his tail had a rip running through it. It hurt, but it would heal over time. With a sigh, Hiccup started making his way home, only using his arms.

The Nightfury hated seeing his pet struggle, so he swam up underneath him and lifted, allowing the boy to ride him.

Hiccup guided the dragon to his grotto, enjoying the ride. Once inside, the Nightfury enthusiastically explored the cavern and the treasures it held. Hiccup pulled himself up on the ledge and laid down in exhaustion. He shivered, the winter air leaking in from the openings. He pulled over an old moldy blanket, and wrapped up in it.

After a few apprehensive moments of listening to things clatter, he heard the dragon inhaling, before there was and explosion of heat. He sat up quickly, surprised to find fire in his pit. Still, he didn't have much wood, so it wouldn't last long.

The Nightfury watched him carefully, then sniffed at his ripped fin.

"It'll be fine." Hiccup assured. "Just a little while, and it'll heal..." He smoothed the rough corners.

The dragon licked the wound, and then proceeded to sniff the boy. Finding him safe, he was content to stay. Hiccup smiled at him, showing he meant no harm.

The Nightfury attempted to copy the expression, a gummy grin pulling at his reptilian lips.

"Huh, Toothless…" He scratched his chin. "I could of sworn you had teeth."

Suddenly, his stomach rumbled and the dragon bared it's teeth.

"No no!" the boy cried. "It's just my stomach…I'm hungry." His rubbed his belly.

The dragon seemed to understand as he licked his chops, and then leaned over the fish boy. His eyes rolled up.

"What are you…?"

There was a 'hoark'-ing sound before the beast vomited a fish on the boy's lap.

"Ugh…" He grimaced. It wasn't as if he didn't eat raw fish, but raw fish from a dragon's gullet? That wasn't happening. Still, Toothless urged him on by mimicking a swallowing motion.

And so, he ate the fish, at least a little of it, while Toothless finished the rest off.

Wiping the slime from his lips, he looked to the dragon. "You know…I'm all alone here, and you aren't used to the water…would you stay here?"

The dragon stared at him, his pupils shifting in size. In a final effort, Hiccup held out his hand, turning his face away.

With that, the deal was set. And the greatest friendship began.

—

"So, we've been pretty much inseparable ever since." He nodded. Toothless now rested his head on the merman's lap as the boy scratched his chin.

"So…" Astrid began, digesting his story. "You kissed a dragon?"

He laughed. "Out of the whole story, that's the only thing you took away from it?"

"Well, not the only thing. But it's noticeable. I mean, how does that work?"

"Dragon's have lips."

She rolled her eyes and set her empty bowl aside. "Not that! I mean…how did kissing him keep him from drowning? It just…doesn't make any sense!"

He shrugged. "I don't really know myself…When I was younger, the mermaids told me about it. They said if I wanted to save a human from drowning, I could kiss them. This gives them my breath. I didn't know it would work with Toothless, but I just didn't want to let him drown…especially if I _could_ save him."

Astrid crossed her legs. "I guess you would…since you haven't been raised to hate dragons, like me."

"Well, not land dragons." He clarified. "They are nice, but water dwelling dragons will eat anything with a tail."

She nodded in understanding.

"Astrid, would it be inappropriate if I gave you something?"

She looked apprehensive. "…like what?"

"A gift! Something I found, as…as a thank you for taking care of me since I got caught."

The blonde sighed. "Hiccup, you don't need to give me anything, I'm the one who caught you, and you're letting me stay with you."

"No, you caught me, because I was stealing, and yet you didn't _kill_ me. Please?"

She exasperated. "Alright, if you really must."

The merman smiled and slipped out under Toothless' head. Using his arms, he scooted over to a far wall, where a swing sat. Easing into it, he gripped the side and pulled, the swing rising into the air.

Astrid gawked in fascination. "How are you doing that?"

"Pulleys." He answered easily, pointing up. Clusters of wheels hung between ropes all over the ceiling. She followed the different systems to various swings located around the cavern, each designed to lift him onto different ledges. "Incredible…"

"I can't climb." He swung onto the desired ledge. "Well, not easily. So I made these."

She looked at his tail, her brows furrowed as she imagined the struggle he endured. "It must be hard."

"It can be frustrating." He admitted. "Underwater, I could easily maneuver wherever I need too, but here…well, I work my arms."

He army crawled over the ledge, pulling his body along the rocky shelf.

"That looks painful. Do you want me to grab...whatever this is?"

"No no, I got it." He assured. Shortly after, he reached an algae covered chest and opened it, rifling through the contents. "I was going to save this stuff for trade, someday, somehow, but I think it would go to better use if you had it." He seemed to reach the bottom as he exclaimed a loud 'A-ha!' and started making his way back down.

Regaining his spot, he held out his hand. "Here, I want you to have it."

Astrid was ashamed. She didn't deserve such a wonderful gift. "Hiccup, you don't have to—…"

"But I do, Astrid!" He proclaimed. In his hand sat a gold ring, with a light blue gem set on top. It was quite beautiful, and could be very expensive. "May I?" He held out his other hand.

She raised her hand and allowed him to slip on the ring. It fit well, she found. He kissed the jewel, then clasped her hands. "If ever you are in trouble, just show this ring to the mermaids, and they'll help you. But you must promise me you'll never take it off, alright?"

She grinned. "This is amazing, thank you so much…I don't know what I could do to repay you…" She glanced at his hands that held hers.

"You're friendship is all I need." He ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"You have Toothless," she stated, rolling her eyes.

"I do, but sometimes I need someone I can hold a conversation with."

"Well, I can give you that." She smiled. "Do you know what kind of stone this is?"

"I believe it's what the people call…" He scrunched his nose, thinking of the word. "Chalcedony? Does that sound familiar?"

She shook her head.

"I found it in a Roman shipwreck…"

"Roman!?" She examined the ring more closely. "No wonder! There's no way we'd be able to get a hold of goods like this! This is amazing!"

"Really?"

"Yes! What else was in this shipwreck? Tell me more!"

"Well, I found it about a year ago…most of the stuff was ruined, but that chest was good. Also that barrel," he pointed to a barrel stuck in a corner. "It was sealed and there's something inside it, but I haven't opened it."

"Can I?" She asked, her excitement peaked.

He shrugged. "Be my guest."

Excited, Astrid jumped to her feet and walked to the back corner where the barrel was tucked away. Grabbing a spear, she wedged the end into the wax seal. After it was cut away, she pried the barrel open.

A look of disappointment crossed her face.

"What?" He asked.

"It's just water." She frowned. "Wait!" She leaned it and sniffed. "I think it's…" She cupped a bit in her hand and drank. "It is!"

"What?" He asked again, perplexed at her behavior.

"Do you have any cups?"

"Um…" He glanced around. "I think there are…chalices up there somewhere."

"Perfect!" She exclaimed, climbing up the wall, opting out of the complicated swing. "We're going to make the most of our time together!"

"I don't understand…" he spoke, obviously confused at her odd behavior.

"I'm about to introduce you to a human tradition that we hold near and dear to our hearts."

He was wary, but conceded, "If you say so."

She received the goblets and climbed back down. "I'm so excited! Stoick doesn't let me drink, like ever!"

"He doesn't let you drink?" He asked curiously. "Then…shouldn't you be dead?"

She laughed. "I mean this specific type of drink." She filled the two goblets and handed one to him.

He sniffed it, it smelled sweet. "What kind of drink?"

"Just taste it."

Gingerly, he tilted the cup back and sipped. The drink burned as soon as it touched his tongue and his mouth felt like it filled up with smoke. He gagged, sputtered, and coughed. "This is awful!" He wheezed. "You were excited about this?!"

She sipped and coughed as well. "Yeah! I mean, if he's hiding it from me, it has to be good!"

"Are you sure he wasn't saving you the torture? What is this anyways?!"

"It's wine, white wine. Take another sip, it's not so bad."

"I think I'll pass…" He set down the chalice.

She shrugged. "Well, you're missing out!" And she took another swig.

—

Hours and countless cupfuls of the drink later, Astrid was laying on her side by the fire. Her words slurred as she rambled, but she was in a complete stupor. "So, the next day the duck comes in and says, 'got any nails?' and the bartender says, 'no' so the duck says, 'got any milk?'" She finished her joke and laughed.

"I don't understand…why was the duck talking? And why was it asking for milk?"

She ignored him and took a swig finishing her cup. "Whoopsies! I gotta get some more!"

"I think you've had enough…" Hiccup urged.

"Nah! You drink until you pass out! That's the tradition!"

"Well, maybe we should stray on this tradition as well…" He finally finished his own drink, not even feeling a little buzzed. According to Astrid's accounts on viking culture, the person that drank the most wine without passing out won. Won what, he wasn't so sure.

But so far, Astrid was in the lead. Toothless had lapped up some of the foul liquid and was now curled around the merman, out cold. Hiccup had only drank one glass, in the course of many hours.

"You know what, Hickey?" She stopped and giggled. "Hickey, that's funny because that's what people get from kissing. Ha, ironic."

"How is it ironic?"

"'cause you kissed a dragon!" She teased. "Does Toothless have a little Hickey right here?" She pointed to her lips.

"What?"

"Do you want a hickey!? I'll give you one!" She started crawling towards him.

"Astrid, you're acting weird…" He shifted away from her.

"_You're_ acting weird!" She countered.

"That stuff is effecting you, you need to stop," he urged.

She crawled up next to him and sat by his side, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I like you Hickey, I don't like many people, but I like you."

"Well, good," he amended.

"I also like this drink." She sat up to grab his chalice, most likely going to refill it.

Hiccup snatched it away from her and chucked it into the water. "No more wine!" He lamented.

She snorted. "Gee, if you wanted me to stop, you could have just said it!"

He groaned in annoyance.

Resuming her cuddling, the blonde wrapped her arms around his torso and made herself comfortable by his side. "You know Hickey, I'm glad I met you. You're nice. I feel like I can just tell you any ol' thing in the world, and you don't mind at all."

"I don't mind," he confirmed.

"But at home, Stoick always had all these rules. I had to watch my tongue, and I couldn't talk to people, and I couldn't say what I wanted." She affectionately rubbed his chest. "But here, I can just be myself. And I like that."

The merman carefully ignored her ministrations as he gently rested a hand on her shoulder. He wouldn't hold anything against her since she was in this state. "Well, that's good. I'd like you to be comfortable talking to me."

"I hope I marry someone like you." She proclaimed.

He gulped and had to remind himself that this strange behavior was attributed to the drink. "Well, maybe someday you will."

"You're so nice. How can you talk to me? I'm an awful person." She lamented.

"I think you're a good person." He corrected.

She buried herself into his chest. "I am a despicable human being!"

He pried her off. "No, you're not."

"Yes I am!" She moaned. "I hurt you and now you have to put up with me! You should hate me!"

She had a point, in a strange, convoluted way. He should hate her, she immobilized him. And yet, she tried her best to rectify her wrongs by caring for him. Right now, she was hiding him from people that wouldn't be so kind. She allowed him to go home, to see his best friend! Surely, a despicable human being would do no such thing.

Unfortunately, trying to explain this to her intoxicated brain would do very little good. Instead, he touched her face very gently and spoke, "I could never hate you."

Her mood did an 180, and she hugged him around the neck. "Oh goody!" She exclaimed, partially choking him.

"Sure thing." He whispered.

She nuzzled against his neck. "I'm glad, you're my best friend, Hickey."

He was startled, to say the least. They had only know each other for about a week, and within that time period, she had already decided that they could be that close. Still, he considered, she mentioned she didn't have anybody that understood her, so it was possible.

"Astrid, I—…" He stopped short. The blonde on his shoulder was breathing steadily. She had finally passed out.

He sighed with relief, thankful that he would no longer be taking advantage of her unfiltered state. The sun was still out, night time still off in the distance. Now, the real difficulty came with putting her to bed.

He would worry about that later.


	7. The Remedy

Living in Berk meant that the cold was always biting at your fingers. And your ears. And your toes. And basically your entire body. Being cold was a sign of being alive.

So when Astrid woke up with the cold missing and a warmth that she had never known enveloping her, her eyes shot open so fast, it made her head spin.

"What the Hel!?" She screamed.

Hiccup was pushed away from her, and right into the water. That was such an awful awakening.

"Well, good morning!" He chittered, shaking the water from his face.

His voice pierced right into her brain. "Uhh…no! Shut up!"

Hiccup frowned. Cuddly Astrid was gone, and she had been replaced with violent, cranky Astrid.

He whispered, "You drank a lot of that juice last night, then you fell asleep on me."

She shut her eyes tight. "Please Hiccup, I have heard horror stories of what people do when they're drunk. Please save me the embarrassment and keep it to yourself." She rubbed her head.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad." He lied.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, you told some jokes, talked about Stoick…tried to give me a 'Hickey'."

She groaned in dispare.

"But you didn't!"

"Ugh, I have such a headache!" She moaned.

"Do you need me to get you something?"

"I'm out of water," she said as she climbed back up into her hammock. "I need fresh water, can you get me some?"

"Of course." He smiled. Her canteen laid on the floor and he snatched it up.

Astrid closed her eyes and listened to him moving across the ground. She didn't like to watch. The effort it took him to move looked incredible, and she felt sorry to make him do things.

He was back before she knew it. "Here you go." He said softly.

She took the canteen from him gratefully and took a drink. "Mmm, this is really clean water."

"It's from the pool back there." He pointed to a small dark hole in the corner. "I'll show it to you later, when you feel better."

"Okay." She amended.

"Anything else? Food?"

She shook her head. "No, I feel like I'm going to puke."

There was some clattering before he placed a silver bowl on her lap. "You can use this."

She handed it back to him with bleary eyes. "No, it's too nice. Do you just have a wooden bucket?" After the question she closed her eyes again. "You know, most times at home, hangovers were a joke. People were expected to keep working and go on with life as normal, even though they felt terrible. Others would come up and yell at them in jest to make it worse."

"Well, you're not home, now are you?" He returned.

So he cared for her. He made sure she was comfortable and warm, and then let her sleep in the quiet cave. She didn't really sleep though, mostly just rested her sore body and closed her eyes, soaking in the blissful sound of silence. Light brightly filtered through the nooks.

"What time is it?" She asked drowsily.

"Mid noon. You slept pretty late." He answered, softly.

"Okay."

It was then that Toothless finally awoke from his drunken stupor. He roused with a hideous growl. Astrid heard him smack his jowls.

"Well, about time you got up, sleepyhead." Hiccup chuckled.

Toothless hissed at him.

"Oh don't be like that, you big baby boo."

Apparently, the dragon didn't want to bugged any longer as he jumped into the water, splashing the two.

Astrid sat up by the sudden shock of chilling water on her face. "Hiccup!"

"Sorry!" He yelped, digging around for something dry for her to use. "I didn't know he'd be so cranky."

In the end, she wiped her face on her sleeve and turned around in the hammock, to sleep on the dry side. She sighed heavily, "it's fine." Though her tone conveyed otherwise.

His two closest friends were mad at the world, and refused company. What was a poor merman to do?

Hours passed in the silent cave. Astrid did finally fall asleep as Toothless continued to be aloof. All in all, it was a relaxing break from the day to day stress of the n life.

When Astrid finally shook off her hangover, she was awakened by a light scratching sound. Blinking her eyes open, she peered around, looking for her companion, but he was no where to be found.

The scratching sound was still prevalent and she searched for it's source, only to find her new friend sitting up on a ledge above her.

About the same time she spotted him, he met her eyes. He jumped, startled in surprise. "Oh! I didn't know you were awake!"

She wasn't phased. "Whatcha doin' up there?"

"Uhh, I was drawing."

She rose her brows. "Really? Can I see?"

He seemed torn. "I…I guess…"

"Just toss it." She held out her hands.

"It's a little heavy."

"I've got it," she insisted.

So he tossed the thick book down to her and then lowered himself with his swing.

His sketchbook was covered by a rich leather, inscribed with foreign designs, and locked with a gold clasp. Opening it, a musty smell, as the pages were brown and wavy.

"It used to be some book, you can see the print on it in some places, but the water faded the ink."

She nodded in understanding as she scanned the pages. He had copied objects in the cave with a charcoal stick. Some were crates, looked at from different perspectives. Others were highly details treasure pieces. He had sketches of the village and the ships from the distance, and lots of doodles of Toothless littering the pages. One page actually made her stop short, as the spread was decorated with interweaving lines.

"What is this?" She asked, tilting the book towards him.

"Oh, I was trying to copy the designs of a celtic book cover. I kind of messed it up though."

"No, it's amazing…" She hushed him. Then she quickly flipped to the other page and cleared her throat. "I mean, if you like that kind of stuff."

He smiled coyly.

"You should draw your tail," she noted.

"I did, there's a sketch in there somewhere…"

"No, I meant draw a design for your new tail for Gobber."

Ah. "I…don't know…"

"Just give it a shot! We can take the sketchbook with us when we go back."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, sure." She continued to peruse the pages. "What were you just working on?"

At that, Hiccup yanked the book out of her hand. He slammed the book shut and set it within the rocks. "Maybe some other time. Hungry?"

He was quick to change the subject, so she didn't bother him about it. With a sigh, she supposed that he was entitled to _some_ form of privacy.

Little did she know, he was holding a large sum of secrets.

The light that trickled off the rocks and gold was a soft red. Astrid took notice as she glanced up to the opening up top.

"The sun is setting," she declared, biting into her dried meat.

"Yeah, it does that," Hiccup replied, smartly.

The blonde rolled her eyes and stood from her spot. "I want to go see it." And without another word, she climbed the rock face and crawled her way carefully over to the entrance.

For a moment, Astrid realized she missed the sun. She had been living in this solitary cave for the last two days. She squinted at the light, it's rays licking her face and warming her cheeks. The sky was on fire.

"Oh Hiccup…" She breathed. "Hiccup, you have to see this sunset! It's gorgeous!" She called down to him, not tearing her eyes away from the sight.

She heard a splash, indicating that he was taking the easy route out. The sun was a glittering orb, nestled on the horizon, clouds hugging it and sealing off it's light. The sky behind it blended from a flowery yellow, to an impossible blue. Overhead, the clouds burst with color; reds, blues, and purples wove in and out, cottony in form, and in a whole other world.

Hiccup sighed wistfully. "Yeah, the sunsets are very charming." Then he looked up to her from the water, "but I bet you've never seen one from the cloud's point of view."

She could agree that that was true.

"Have you?"

"That's Toothless' favorite time to go flying." The boy laughed, "he probably out there right now."

The girl searched the clouds for the black figure, but there was none in sight.

Hiccup shrugged. "Don't bother, he's probably way up there. Even if you could see him, he'd just be a speck."

The words came out of Astrid's mouth without her permission. "I wish I could be up there."

"I'll take you sometime," he answered.

She looked down at him, a part of her wondering if he was being serious.

"On Toothless," he clarified. "When he warms up to you. I promise he's just a big softy when he likes something."

Astrid smiled. "That would be nice." She looked out to the sun, as it slipped into the ocean. "I'd like that."

After the sun set, the duo went back inside. Since Astrid had spent the whole day sleeping, she was beyond energetic. Hiccup on the other hand, laid beside what was left of the fire. Embers and charcoal. He could bring it back up, or he could just wait for Toothless to come back.

The dragon did so, not long after sunset. He seemed apologetic and licked his companion.

"Okay okay, I forgive you." The boy replied, pushing away the lizard's sticky tongue. Toothless puffed flames on the wood stack and immediately curled up for bed.

"Whoa, that's it? You've been gone all day!"

The dragon's tail fin sung around and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Fine then! Be that way!" Hiccup snorted. He knew the dragon was sore about Astrid being there, taking his time and attention. Who knew dragons felt jealousy?

Astrid laughed silently at the exchange, and then wondered around the cavern, the walls only being lit with the dim firelight. "Do you mind if I explore?" The blonde asked, already testing out one of his swings.

Hiccup had resumed his place on the ground. "Be my guest," he replied, not opening his eyes. He continued to rest until he heard a clattering of metal, as things fell out of place.

"Oops." Astrid muttered. "I'll pick that up."

Hiccup sighed aloud. "Why don't I show you that pool now, hm?"

"Why, don't you like me filtering through your stuff?" She chuckled.

He yawned. "I don't mind. But maybe you'll understand when you see it, though."

His cryptic words spiked her curiosity, and the blonde lowered herself back to his level.

—

It was a black hole in the wall. The faint fire light seemed to be swallowed in this gloomy abyss. Astrid knelt next to her friend as they peered into the dark. An unknown chill ran up her spine.

"Well?" He asked.

"Well what? There's nothing to see. It's too dark."

"Go _in_," he urged.

"Nuh uh! I don't know what's back there!"

"There's a pool back there. I told you. You drank its water."

"Yeah, but, I don't know where it is, or how deep it is…"

He gripped her shoulder. "Just jump in, trust me."

"Hiccup?"

"Yes?"

"I can't swim."

He gave a mournful laugh. "Of course you can't." Never the less, his grip tightened as he said. "It's not that deep. You'll be able to stand. The water will come up to your chest though, is that okay?"

"Hiccup…"

"I'll teach you how to swim." He urged. "Please Astrid, just jump in."

The blonde was very hesitant. Hiccup had been nothing but sweet to her this entire time, but this was asking too much. The dark depths looked like they could swallow her whole. The great Astrid Hofferson was afraid of very little, but the great unknown and open water.

"Promise me, you won't let me drown."

"You won't drown." He assured.

Still, something bothered her. She swallowed. "Is there...something in the water?"

"Yes."

She bit her lip. "What?"

"You'll just have to find out."

It was then that she made the fool hardy decision to trust the merman. She slipped off her boots and leaned forward. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She muttered. A deep breath, and she leapt, cutting into the waves with slick grace like everything else she did. The water was cold, and the silt that settled at the bottom engulfed her feet. The surface ended at her rib cage, while she held her hands out.

"Cold?" He asked.

"A bit." She whispered.

She heard him slip into the water before he took one of her hands. "Okay, open your eyes."

So this was the cavern that Arvendale's fire disappeared to. It was like she wasn't even inside a cave anymore, but out in the sky, the entire cave glowed enchanted green and blues.

"Hiccup…" The blonde whispered.

"It's algae, in the water. It glows when it's disturbed."

Astrid cupped the water in her hands and held it up. True indeed, little specks glowed as they flittered through the water. Suddenly, she looked at him in horror. "I drank this?"

He laughed, "it's harmless." Then he took her other hand. "Alright, ready to learn to swim?"

She nervously grimaced. "It's not on the top of my list of things to do."

"Astrid, if we're going to be friends, you'll _have_ to know how to swim."

He made a good point. "Okay, what do I do?"

"First of all, be have to practice holding our breath." Then he laughed. "Unless you want me to kiss you."

She quickly extracted her hands from his, and punched him firmly in the shoulder. "You lay a lip on me, and the vikings will be having fish sticks for dinner."

He chuckled, defensively. "Alright! I get it." He shook his head. "Plug your nose and place your face into the water. Hold it as long as you can."

She took a deep gasp and plunged her face under the water. Almost instantly, she popped right back out.

"What was that? That was terrible!"

"Well excuse me! This water is freezing!"

"Try again Astrid." He demanded.

She did, and she was able to hold it for a while, but the cold water certainly made it hard. When she surfaced, she shivered. "Okay, maybe we'll try again some other time. You know, when it's hot outside."

"I have a better idea." He smiled. The algae fluoresced as he glided through the water. At the edge of the pool, he picked up a small rock and threw it at his dragon, to wake him up. Toothless sat up with a growl.

"Hey buddy! Mind warming up the water?"

Toothless snorted loudly, but conceded if only to get more sleep. He stumbled over and blew heat into the water. The algae migrated to the back of the cave, as the heat rolled out pleasantly. Toothless withdrew solemnly and went back to bed.

"Thanks bud!" Hiccup called after. "Better?" He asked.

"Yes, much."

"Good." He then yawned, but attempted to cover it with his hand.

"Tired?"

"Well, yes, in a way. After all, I didn't spend the whole day sleeping like a certain someone."

She laughed. "Yeah, about that…"

"Let's just…practice floating." He suggested. "Just relax. He laid back on the water and drifted."

"I can't do that." She insisted.

"Just try it, it's easy. I'll help you." He swam near her and placed a hand on her back. "Lean back. I'll keep you up."

With a large exhale, Astrid leaned back, raising her feet from the floor and her head nestled in the water.

"Good, now spread out your arms."

She did, and he moved so she would have room, then his face appeared above hers. "Now, just relax and let the water hold you." Slowly, he removed his hand and she started to sink with him. "No…" he urged, pressing back into her. "Relax…" he whispered.

It was strange, she would claim. It didn't make sense and it was weird, but his words made goosebumps rise to her skin. It was not the temperate water, she knew, just his breath tinging across her brow. Suddenly, she felt the cold settle in as the heat from her back disappeared. The sudden shock of this…_longing _had her floating.

"There! See! That isn't too hard!" His voice was right to beside her, as he floated along. "Easy." Then he yawned. "That's enough for today, right? I'll teach you the kicks and strokes tomorrow."

Silence reclaimed the chamber. The rocks glistened with a receding light, that seemed to _move_, making the cave appear to be alive. Hiccup's head gently bumped against her's and she felt comfort in his presence.

Things had changed. Astrid had tasted the sweet honey of freedom, and felt the warmth of friendship. Despite his fins, he was so human, but at the same time, more different then anything she had ever encountered. This world of his was magic. It elicited things from her that she had not in many years.

Feelings.

Feeling that weren't anger or pride. Like right now, she was torn between elation and tranquility. He truly was amazing.

"Hiccup, I…I want to thank you. For this. For everything you've done these last few days…it means a lot. And…just…thanks."

She waited, but he was silent.

"Hiccup?" Her panic made her begin to sink, so she regained her balance on her feet. "Hiccup!" There was no sign of the boy. She stepped towards the back of the cave when she suddenly kicked a hard mass.

Hiccup popped up. "Ow! What was that for?!" He shouted.

"What were you doing?"

"What was I doing? What does it look like? I fell asleep! You didn't need to kick me, you know."

"Uh, yeah…sorry." She combed her wet hair out of her face. "If…if you're tired, we can go back."

With a grateful yawn, he darted under the current and moved to climb out.

As the cave grew dim, dread coursed through her. This would be their last night together. Tomorrow, the Gauls would leave, and she would be expected to return to her duties. The magic would come to an end. Hiccup would be fixed, and then they would part ways. Maybe never to see each other again.

The young woman couldn't explain it, but she felt a horrible pang in her heart at the thought.

"Are you coming?" Hiccup asked, smiling.

"Yes."

They had one last night together, and she would make it last.

Next chapter, we'll actually get onto substance (I hope).


	8. The Stay

She stood in white, lace crawling up arms in spiderwebs. Her hair cascaded around her like rivulets of sunshine. The waves picked up her skirts and carried them round like wind whipping in a field. Her hands outstretched and grasped his, a smile forming on her face. The priceless ring hugged her finger as they interwove with his own. This was it. This was the day he been looking forward to since he had met her.

A large hand clasped his shoulder. "And do you, son of the water, take this lovely creature as your bride?"

"I do." He said.

"Then by the power I have, I declare you as fish and wife!"

Astrid drew close to him, her arms about his neck. He leaned in, breaths mingling like forgotten friends. "Oh Astrid…"

"Hiccup…?"

"Yes?"

"We need to go…"

"I know." He smiled. "I'll take you with me…"

"What? I need to go home!"

"What?"

"The Gaul's left, we need to go back to the village."

"But, we—…"

"Hey, as much as I'd like to stay with you, Stoick's going to be wondering where I am. So get your lazy fins out of this hammock."

Hiccup awoke, blinking the heavenly dream out of his mind. Strangely, it had been so realistic, but he knew it wasn't possible. He sat in a daze, trying to understand why he had concocted such a fantasy.

"Midgard to Fishboy! Hello!" Astrid snapped in his face.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I'm just…not awake yet." He had only half lied.

"Well, finish waking up. I'm going to get my stuff together. You wanted to bring your sketchbook with you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Anything else?"

"Ah…" He half-heartedly looked around. "Ah, that little bag up there, the brown one."

"Okay." She climbed up the rocks and grabbed the bag, then felt it. "What—?" She opened it. "Grass? Really? We have so much grass up there."

"It's for dragons," he elaborated.

The blonde nodded like she understood, but she only humored him. Still, she stuck the bag in hers. "Anything else?"

"No…I think that's it."

Regaining her spot on the main floor, she began to fold up the clothes she had left behind. "Maybe you should bring some treasure with you. I could trade it with Johann if you'd like."

"Johann?"

"He's our trader, many nice goods. He can be really annoying, but he's nice." She laughed. Then she started to take down the hammock she had slept in.

"Oh, leave it!" He called. "In case you want to…uh, come visit…sometime. You know, like a vacation."

She smirked and re-tied the knot. "Talk to your dragon, will you? He still doesn't like me."

Hiccup smirked and rolled out of his bed. "Toothless..." He sang.

The dragon gave a contented purr.

Hiccup waved Astrid over, so she could kneel near him. The merman stroked the side of the beast's head and scratched under his chin. The girl joined in, scratching behind his ear flaps.

"Toothless...can you get up, bud?"

The dragon awoke with a yawn; hot, rank air blowing over them. Hiccup held his breath. "Hey bud..." He smiled.

The merman knew how to put the dragon in a good mood, as he opened his eyes, dilated with friendliness. He seemed much less hostile from the previous day.

"This is my friend, Astrid. She wants to be your friend."

Astrid moved up to resume scratching under his chin, where Hiccup had been. "Hey there, Toothless." She cooed.

The dragon lulled his tongue out of his mouth, smiling at her, teeth retracted. Then he gave a long, slow, sound lick to the side of her face. She grimaced.

"He likes you!" He laughed. "Just be glad he didn't puke up a fish on you."

"Yeah," she wiped the saliva off with a thick swipe. "Praise Thor."

Shortly after, Astrid had packed away everything they were taking with them. She poised up top by the opening, ready to jump on Toothless after they exited the cave, keeping her and her luggage dry. The ride back was a lot more calm then the ride there, as Toothless took a lap around the island. Astrid knew she was supposed to get home as soon as possible, but as she gripped Hiccup's bare shoulders, she relaxed and just enjoyed the ride.

Too soon, they touched down outside the ring, since the Vikings wouldn't take kindly to the Nightfury. Hiccup and Toothless said their tearful goodbyes, before Astrid lifted him and began to carry him back.

"I miss him already," he said softly, his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sure you do." In truth, she knew she would miss the reptile as well.

Astrid carried him through town, where they were well received.

"Got away just in time, eh?"

"Good to see our treasures are both safe!"

"About time you got a vacation from her!"

Hiccup mused the ridicule that spanned over the crowd. "Wow, no one likes Darla, do they?"

She laughed, "No, not at all. And be glad you missed out on this experience."

Astrid brought him to the forge, where his barrel of water had been replaced by a large wash basin, which perched on the edge of the far wall. Just close enough to the fires, but overlooking the ocean view.

"Got an upgrade huh?" She stated as she lowered him into the water.

Gobber laughed. "Yeah, Stoick made the twins and Snotlout set that up as punishment. But don't worry, I checked it, it's sturdy."

Hiccup stretched out in the tub, enjoying the warmth of the water. "I think this will do nicely." He stated.

Astrid sat down in a chair nearby, just to recover her breath from the trip.

"It's nice ta have ye back." Gobber smiled. "It wasn'ta same without ye."

"Really? But I don't say much," Hiccup wondered.

"Aye, that you don't, but I missed the feeling of silent judgement," the man chuckled.

Astrid stood and took his book from her bag and set it next to the tub. "Well, if that's all, then I better be going. Gotta check in with Stoick and unpack."

"Thanks for everything Astrid," the boy smiled. "Will I see you later?"

The blonde smiled, but she didn't say anything as she left the forge.

"So…" Gobber slyly slinked over to the tub. "Anything…happen?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I see the way you where looking at her. You fancy Astrid."

"Why wouldn't I? She's beautiful, and smart, and kind…"

"We are taking about the same person, right?"

The merman rolled his eyes. "Once you get her to open up, she's a very interesting person." He muttered under his breath, "especially when she's drunk."

Gobber snorted. "Had quite the party eh?"

"It was nice," he stated. "I think…I think I've made a friend." Scratch that, he _knew_ he had made a friend.

"Besides me?" The old goat asked.

"Yes, Gobber. Besides you."

"Now laddie," Gobber stated, walking over to his counter where a blueprint sat. "I've been working on your tail, but I seem ta be stuck on the plans." He scratched his chin. "I'm used to weapons. But this? Well, I'm having some problems with it. I hope you can stand being here for a awhile."

"Well…" the boy said as he reached over and took up his book. "Maybe I could try? You would probably need a device that replicated the motions of my good fin in the bad fin. For instance, if this one closes, so should the fake fin. Maybe gears?"

Gobber looked at him, "how do you know about these kind of things?"

The boy shrugged. "Observing, reading, experimenting."

Gobber shrugged. "It could work."

—

A week passed, and Hiccup was devastated. The sun was setting, but his eyes where trained towards the village. Astrid had not come to see him since the day she left him there. He felt betrayed, and abandoned. He sighed.

"Don't worry lad," Gobber mused, sharpening a sword.

"What did I do?" The boy whispered, mostly to himself. "I thought she liked me. I thought we were friends…I thought she _trusted_ me."

"I'm sure she's just busy."

"I'm not human, Gobber. Did that scare her off? What did I _do_?" He was certain he just lost both of his best friends.

"Your not human, alright," the blacksmith offered. "But I think that might be why she likes ya. Not annoying like the other kids around here."

"Maybe…I was just convenient," he moaned. "She just wanted someone to talk to…"

"You need to stop doing this to yourself, Hiccup. Astrid…is a mystery. She doesn't really show her emotions."

Hiccup stared at the man, confused. "That doesn't sound like her."

Gobber's eyebrows raised. "You mean…?"

"She was very open with me. She told me right the point what was bothering her." He smiled sadly, "She has the most beautiful laugh."

Gobber scratched his chin in wonder. "I don't know what ta make of it, lad."

Dejected, he flopped back down into his tub, only his tail visible.

Little did he know, he did nothing wrong, except bring her happiness. Those feelings she had experienced? She dwelt on them, and attributed their arrival to her new friend. Some day, he would be repaired and return to the water. She couldn't bare the thought of never being happy, never feeling fulfilled again. So, she stupidly decided to stifle the emotions before she could get attached to them. However, she was unaware of how truly damaging her actions were.

—

Early morning. The village was still asleep, the dark of the night still clung to the atmosphere. Hiccup roused ever so slightly, and raised out of the water. The air was crisp and cool as he poked the dying fire with an iron rod. Gobber would be in at first light, and would bring it back up. The boy yawned, and scratched his head. Too much was on his mind for him to sleep. He rested his head on his arms, and closed his eyes.

There was suddenly a loud roar. He sat up straight and listened as it crowed again. It sounded like a Nightmare. Then the shriek of a Nadder answered it a few seconds later.

"Dragon! Dragon attack!" Someone shouted.

Hiccup leaned out the window in an attempt to see what was going on. More dragon noises called and then fires were lit, illuminating the chaos.

"Don't let them get the livestock!" A man shouted.

Gobber hobbled into the forge, and immediately got to work. "Morning, lad!"

"What's happening?!" The panicked merman asked.

"Ah, the beasts are at it again! Come to steal our food!" He took a bola off the wall and handed it to a man waiting at the window. Then he sent a sly smile over his shoulder. "I see why you like them, you have a trait in common."

Hiccup flushed at the insult. "Well!"

"Just kiddin', boy-o."

Hiccup didn't like the joke.

After the weapons were passed around, Gobber took out an axe. "They need me out there, but don't worry. I'll be back!" And he shouted as he burst out into the fray.

Hiccup watched him go with sadness. He didn't like the idea of fighting. It wasn't good.

There was a loud 'whump' that came from the space behind him, followed by a low purr. Hiccup whirled around to meet bright green eyes watching him.

"Toothless! What are you doing here?" He nearly shouted. "It's not safe! You need to leave!"

In response, the beast nudged him heartily and lovingly.

"Oh..." Hiccup moaned as he hugged his friend. He was lonely. As much as Gobber was good company, he missed Toothless and Astrid. "Fine, you can stay...just stay out of sight and be careful! They won't love you like I do."

A long lick to the face suggested that the dragon understood his rider's request. His ears perked up and he darted behind the short wall. Gobber stumbled back in.

"Had my wrong hand on!" He shouted, before running out again.

Hiccup listened in horror at the sounds of shrieks and growls echoing over the landscape. Some sounded friendly, others sounded hurt. But to the humans, they where all evil, and needed to be ridded.

Toothless whined and rested his head by Hiccup. "It's going to be okay bud…" He said, mostly to reassure himself.

Over the coarse of an hour, Hiccup's fear for his companion waned as the shrieks of the beasts receded into the distance. The Nightfury huffed on the boy's hair and then curled up in his little spot behind the forge.

Gobber hobbled back into place, trading out his hand. "They got away. Each and every one of them. Along with a good amount of supplies! Unbelievable!"

Hiccup cringed. With losses like that, forgiveness would be unlikely.

"Ah, don't worry lad. They only come every once and awhile. Takes us a long time to get our stores back, but we'll manage."

Suddenly the sound of bickering was heard from outside the forge.

"That's my sword!"

"Nuh-uh! You broke your sword!"

"I know! And that sword is broken, genius!"

The twins and Snotlout appeared at the window, brandishing weapons.

"And the repair work begins," Gobber lamented. "Alright, who's first?"

"Me! I'm first! I'm the oldest!" Tuffnut threw his sword down.

"No way! I'm older by a minute! _Little brother!_"

"I'll go! Sheesh!" Snotlout broke up the fight and laid down a hammer. Then he glanced back and met Hiccup's gaze. "Hey, buddy! How's it going?"

Hiccup was silent.

"What's wrong? Catfish got your tongue?" He chuckled. "Still sore about the hill thing?"

The merman turned his head away.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry about that. And I'll make it up to you. What do you say? I'll get you anything you want! When I marry Astrid, I'll be the richest guy on Berk!"

Hiccup's head snapped over and stared at the boy. "Marry?"

"Now he speaks! And yeah, marry! It's when two people decide that they are going to be together. So they share everything and have kids. The husband, that's the guy, does all the hard manly work, and then the wife, that's the chick, does all the cooking and cleaning. Then when the husband comes home, the wife dotes on his every need."

The merman huffed. "I know what it is." He had heard stories, and he had read tales, but Snotlout's depiction sounded wrong. Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and anger. "And…so you and Astrid have agreed on this?"

Snotlout shrugged. "Basically. I mean, not technically, but it's pretty much a given."

Tuffnut popped into the conversation. "What he really means, is that he _thinks_ Astrid likes him, but she actually hates his guts."

"Shut up!" Snotlout punched him.

At the sound of fighting, the Nightfury perked up and let out a low growl.

"What was _that_?"

"Uh- uh- uh…my stomach!" The merman stuttered. "Yes, I'm so hungry! I have not eaten since yesterday…"

Snotlout didn't buy his bluff as he entered into the forge. "That didn't sound like a stomach."

"Oh? Well, Mermaid stomachs must sound different from humans…" He nervously glanced around.

"You're hiding something." The brunet accused.

"Me? Hiding? _No_. I can't even walk! How would I—?"

Ruffnut stifled a shriek from behind the forge. "DRAGON!"

"No!" Hiccup whirled.

Almost instantly, people ran over to where Ruffnut was screaming.

Hiccup pleaded, "Stop! Stop, he won't hurt you!"

Toothless was standing and hissing, his back to Hiccup. He wouldn't fight, but he wouldn't leave his companion with these barbarians.

"Go bud!" Hiccup shouted as he pushed on the dragon's hide. "Toothless, go! Get out of here!" But the reptile would not budge.

A bola sang through the air before grappling two legs together. The dragon stumbled and the vikings rushed him, ropes in hand.

"Stop! Stop! Please! Don't hurt him!" The merman lifted himself from his tub and flopped on the muddy ground. "Toothless!" He reached out, crawling his way over.

By time the chief and Astrid arrived on the scene, the dragon was bound completely and Hiccup clutched his head tightly.

"We found this dragon hiding back here, Stoick." A man stated. "What do you want to do with him?"

Hiccup rose tearful eyes to the man he once called his father. "Please…" he urged. "Don't hurt him. He's my best friend. Please…_please!" _

"Put him with the others," Stoick stated calmly.

"No!" Hiccup shrieked, lunging at the man, but he was only able to glare up at him from the ground. "You said nothing would happen to me! You said you would take care of me!"

Angered, Stoick lifted the merman by the hair and looked him in the eye. "I promised you! Not this devil! Don't you know anything? They're evil creatures!"

"No, they aren't!" Hiccup squealed as he writhed in the man's grasp. "They are capable of great things! They can help you!" He twisted his head to glare at him, "They are intelligent, gentle creatures. Capable of love and affection! Just give them a chance!"

Stoick shook him, "Don't act like you understand us, you monster! The dragons took everything from me! Why would I change my mind just because of the word of some…fish man!?" Then he threw the boy down on the dirt. "Don't get too comfortable. You aren't one of us. And you never will be!"

Toothless whined against his muzzle as the men began to push him onto a cart. Hiccup dug into the ground and tried to get to him. "I can prove it! I can prove he's good! Just give me a chance!" He scanned the crowd. "Gobber! Talk some sense into him! Please!"

"Lad…it's a dragon…" he replied, melancholy.

Scared, tears came to his eyes as the last fleeting moments with his dragon started to slip away. Then, the merman found a familiar face, standing near Stoick. She had been silent the whole time. "Astrid…please…you know Toothless. I _beg_ you. Don't let him die. He's all I have..._Please_…"

The blonde glanced over at the dragon and then to the chief. She sighed, "Stoick, would it really hurt to give him a chance? With all the stuff that's gone from the raids…we could really use help gathering more before the frost."

Stoick crossed his arms, but remained silent.

Astrid reached out and gingerly touched his arm. "What would _Hiccup_ say about this narrow-mindedness?"

The chief knew she wasn't speaking of the merman. But of a little boy that loved dragons, never allowed to see peace achieved between them. Killed because of the fear they instilled. His little son.

In a small voice, the man responded. "Alright." Then his nostrils flared as he jabbed a finger at the boy. "You have one chance. Teach us to train the captive dragons, and your Nightfury goes free. But, if any harm comes to my people, from those dragons, that beast will be killed. Understand?"

Hiccup looked up, something akin to delight in his eyes. "Oh thank you! I promise it'll work! You'll see!"

—

He may have spoken too soon.

"I don't know what I expected," Hiccup lamented to Gobber, chanting echoing in the background.

"Well, you didn't think et'd be a picnic, did ya?"

"No," he nodded, looking out to arena, where he waited. "I just didn't expect to go all gladiator style."

"Gladiator?"

"Roman thing."

"Ah." The man nodded. "Well, ready?"

"I guess, I don't think they're going to wait much longer."

"You're probably right." Gobber grabbed the edge of the barrel and wheeled him into the arena.

The crowds circled around the chain linked fence, shaking the barriers and calling down to him. All in all, it seemed like the village wasn't too keen on training dragons, but seeing a fish fry.

"My friends!" Stoick's voice called above the crowd once Hiccup was in place. "Today, our guest is going to attempt to train these beasts that have plagued us for years." He sat in his great chair. "Okay, merman, get on with it. Start with whichever one you wish."

"Wait, Stoick— sir, chief, your highness." He stumbled. "I said I would _help you_ train them, not do it for you." He clarified.

The great man scratched his chin. "Elaborate."

"Well," the boy scratched the back of his neck. "If you send someone in here, I'll teach them."

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"You said if anyone was injured, you'd kill Toothless. I'm not willing to take any chances." He looked at the man earnestly. "I want to help you, sir. With viking's on the backs of dragons, the world could be so much bigger! Think of the power! The defense! They wouldn't take from you anymore."

Stoick was quiet while the crowd broke into curious chattering.

"Who do you want?" Stoick finally asked.

"Astrid," the boy replied.

The blonde stood up calmly, nodding once.

Stoick grabbed her shoulder, "be careful…"

She rolled her eyes. "Piece of cake." And she started over to the entrance.

"Oh, Astrid!" The merman called. "No weapons!"

She silently dislodged the axe from her back and dropped it at Snotlout's feet, nearly taking them off. "Hang on to this for me."

Inside the ring, Astrid sided up to the merman as the crowd buzzed in curiosity. Gobber stood at the other side of the arena, by the cage doors.

"So, what's first?" Asked the girl.

"First, you should chose which dragon you think would best suit you."

She turned the question right around on him, "Okay, oh dragon master, which dragon do _you_ think suits me the best?"

"Uh…" he glanced at the crowd, watching him critically, and then looked back at the blonde. Beautiful, powerful, graceful… "Nadder!"

"Excuse me?"

"The Deadly Nadder! Do you have one?" He turned to Gobber.

"Aye!" And he hurried to the latch by the cage.

"You think I'm deadly?" She accused.

"Would you rather be monstrous or hideous?"

"Point taken," she laughed.

"Ready!" Gobber called, and pulled the latch.

The curious dragon squawked as she hopped out of the containment. It's eyes narrowed in the bright sunlight and she stomped around.

Astrid's attitude changed completely once the reptile came out. Without her axe, she felt very vulnerable. Rigidly, she stood near Hiccup, not even breathing. The dragon snuck closer, sniffing, it's eyes changing in size.

Hiccup touched Astrid's back and gently pushed her forward. "Relax…" he urged.

Taking a heavy swallow, the girl came close enough to feel the heat from the Nadder's nostrils. "What now?" She whispered.

"Talk to her."

"Uh…" she swallowed. "H-hello! My name is Astrid…you're so pretty. You're nice, you don't want to hurt me!"

Hiccup smiled as the dragon huffed and Astrid stiffened. It was one thing when she was interacting with Toothless, who was already trained, but this was a wild and no doubt vengeful Nadder. She was poisonous, and had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, which was about a foot from her face.

Surprisingly, the dragon chirped happily and came closer.

"Yeah, good girl…." Astrid clenched her hands into fists, terrified.

"Now, raise your hand in front of her snout and close your eyes."

She did as told. Her fingers inches from the warm hide. Her heart hammered in her chest. Carefully, she closed her eyes and waited for the dragon to make its decision.

Like a kiss, the Nadder lovingly nudged the girl's hand. Cool scales vibrated with a warm purr as Astrid felt her lips pull into a smile. Her other hand reached up and began to stroke the side of the Nadder's head of it own accord.

"Give her a name." Hiccup prompted.

Astrid had seen this dragon in flight. the powerful beat of wings, the ferocity in motion, like a storm embodied into one being. One name came to mind, "Stormfly."

Stormfly decidedly liked her name as she nuzzled into Astrid's tummy. The blonde scratched the dragon's head heartily.

Hiccup smiled as the girl laughed. Hushed awe went up through the gather crowd as they realized something very important.

Astrid was laughing. And a dragon had caused it.

Stormfly crouched and allowed Astrid to climb up on her back. There were sounds of protests from the crowd, but Astrid ignored them all and called out to Gobber. "Open the gates!"

The older man obliged as he flipped the switch and the Nadder rocketed out with the girl hooting and hollering all the while.

While this hadn't been the first flight she had been on, it was her first alone, and that seemed to make it even more exhilarating. The island fell away as Stormfly pressed on, higher and higher. The wind in her hair, the cold biting at her skin…her dragon's wings were just an extension of her soul. Flying to freedom and tranquility. She had been foolish to try to block out Hiccup, as he had found his way back into her life. Whether he knew it or not, he really was a magic being.

Who else could make her this joyful?

To dissuade any fears the vikings would have, Astrid steered the Nadder back to the ring, and the dragon obediently replied. She touched down back in the ring, a radiant smile on her face.

"Are—Are you alright, lass?" Gobber asked.

"Perfect!" She laughed. "Hiccup was right! They are wonderful creatures!" She hugged the Nadder from behind.

"So," the merman spoke up. "Who's next? Fishlegs?"

The next two dragons to train went fairly well. Astrid helped with the twins, as they fought more then paid attention. A little bickering, but they named the Zippleback appropriately. Fishlegs was quick to bond with the Gronkle, after Astrid retrieved the bag of Dragon nip she had brought from Hiccup's cave. Meatlug and Fishlegs' relationship was off to a beautiful, if not a bit strange, start.

Then it was Snotlout's turn. He waltzed into the arena, acting high and mighty.

"Alright, Snot," Hiccup sighed. He still was uncomfortable around the brutish boy. "You've got the Monstrous Nightmare, and they have a nasty temper."

"So do I," the older boy laughed. "I can handle it." He snapped his fingers and Gobber grabbed hold of the latch. "I know what I'm doing."

In a burst of flames, the Nightmare plunged into the arena. It's body alight with fire, it hissed with vibrant intensity.

Like Astrid, once the dragon was released, Snotlout drew back in fear.

"Relax Snotlout, they can sense fear."

The brunet straightened. "I'm n-not afraid!"

The Nightmare growled and flames licked the floor.

"I'm not!" He insisted, puffing out his chest. "I'll prove it!" And he ran towards the dragon.

"No! Don't!" Hiccup warned.

Snotlout ignored him. "You listen to me, you beast!" He pointed at the monster.

The Nightmare's eyes narrowed into almost invisible slits. It's lids quaked with rigid rebellion.

"Snotlout, listen to me, you need to be gentle," Hiccup warned. "You're treading a dangerous line…"

"Oh, shut up!" Snotlout shouted back. "I know what I'm doing!"

Hiccup watched in odd fascination as the other boy flared his nostrils at the Nightmare. "You answer to me now!"

The Nightmare snapped it's jaws, just barely missing his hand.

"No!" Snotlout scolded. "Sit!"

The Nightmare growled as fire began to flicker up on it's skin. His strategy was failing.

Stoick stood from his chair. "Stop," he claimed.

"Wait!" Snotlout insisted.

"I SAID STOP!" The chief shouted, his hammer smacking into the bars.

The clang irritated the Nightmare passed its patience, and it blew flames as Snotlout danced away. The result was Snotlout's fanny smoked like a salmon. The boy ran to Hiccup and shoved him out of the way to cool his cheeks.

Horrified, the merman looked passed his oaf of a cousin and up to Stoick, who was livid with anger. "No…It…it was an accident…"

"You promised no one would be hurt." Stoick scowled.

The Monstrous Nightmare descended onto the duo. "Well, if you don't let us finish this, you'll have worse than a boy with chapped buns!"

"Snotlout, get out of there!" The chief commanded.

Astrid watched with horror from the sidelines. Snotlout wriggled his way out of the barrel and stood. Eyes locked on the nightmare, he scurried out of the arena.

The Nightmare gave him a sideways glance, but let him go. Then, seeing the tail sticking out of the water, it licked it's chops.

"Stoick…?" Hiccup asked.

"What?" Asked the man, staring him down with anger. "You said you could train them. You certainly don't need my help."

Startled, Hiccup glanced to Gobber, who had already escaped through the gate and was lowering the door. "Wait!" He panicked.

Astrid ran back to Stoick. "You can't do this, he's defenseless! He can't move! He can't run!"

Stoick was silent as he crossed his arms.

The dragon came much too close for comfort. "Nice Nightmare…good dragon. Yeah, good boy." He reached out and touched the dragon's skin, but quickly recoiled, the water on his hand turning to steam in a sizzle.

Hiccup gulped. "Come on…It's okay…"

But the beast was far too angered to listen. He roared in the merman's face, and Hiccup jumped to recoil. His weight shifted the barrel, and it tipped to the side. Hiccup sprawled out on the dirt, just barely dodging the snapping jaws of the Nightmare.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. It was all up to her! She snatched up her axe and chucked it at the latch on the far side of the arena.

Hiccup rolled away just in time for fire to hit the cement. "TOOTHLESS!"

A blue glow illuminated the back cage as a plasma blast shot across the arena and hit the Nightmare and knocked him over. With the speed of lightning, the infamous Nightfury stood guard over his rider and friend. Though, unlike earlier that day, the dragon glowed with an eerie blue flame from deep inside.

"Toothless…" The merman whispered.

Toothless shrieked, his roar echoing over the walls and mountain side. Every living creature stood still. The trained dragons, now sitting outside with their riders bowed low with respect. The Nightmare backed into the corner and laid flat to the ground, whining apologetically.

Hiccup patted the side of his companion. "It's okay, Toothless. I'm okay…"

The re-assurance from the boy allowed the glow to fade as he turned and nuzzled him.

"Thank you, buddy. You're amazing…" He hugged his head tight. Then he looked up to the chief. "Do you see now? Once you gain the loyalty of a dragon, they will do anything for you. They will even lay down their own lives for your protection. It's that something worthwhile?"

Stoick was a lucky man. Born true to his name, his face would not convey any emotion he felt. What he did feel though, was anger towards himself and guilt. He should have helped. He could have, he should have listened. Hiccup was right.

The merman starred up at him with sad, wide green eyes. And although he was far away, the chief could see them clearly.

_We don't play with dragons!_

_Why?_

Stoick stood and cleared his throat. "My friends, it's time we put the past behind us. This is the end of tradition. A new age begins today! The age of the dragon!"

Cheers of the crowd broke out as the dragons in the audience were petted and nuzzled.

Hiccup looked around and was pleased. There was plenty of loose ends to tie up, such as getting Snotlout to understand the Nightmare, and instating Toothless as the Alpha. But first…

"Hey Stoick?" Called Hiccup.

The chief gave him his attention.

"There's a little Terrible Terror still down here…would you like him?"

The man smiled, a twinkle in his eye.

—

Sunset. Gobber had gone home for the evening, and Toothless curled up by the fire. Hiccup sat in his tub, sketching out his blueprints, when there was a soft knock on the door. He looked up, only to smile at the sight.

"Astrid!"

"Do you have a moment?"

"All the time!" The shut the book and set it down.

The girl took careful steps to get around the slumbering dragon.

"Isn't this great?" He asked. "Gobber said when he's not busy as Alpha, he can have a job as fire stoker, and he can stay here with me!"

"Yeah, that's great." She smirked. Then she bit her lip. "I…I wanted to apologize. I'm sure you noticed that I was avoiding you…"

He nodded curtly and glanced away.

"And…it was for a dumb reason, and I'm just really very sorry."

He smiled, "It's okay…"

"Hiccup, you have showed me so much kindness. I really don't deserve any of it. I've been awful to you. You took me in, you gave me gifts…you brought Stormfly and I together…I never thought I'd feel that close to a dragon before! You…you amaze me Hiccup."

He blushed. "It wasn't anything special."

Without warning, the girl caught him in a warm embrace. "Thank you…for everything. My dearest friend."

Hiccup returned the embrace, thinking the exact same thing.

College is eating up my time, and I've run out of cushion chapters. I'm going to do my best, but the next chapter may be late. Sorry :/


	9. The Visitor

His foot falls were silent. As mountainous of a man he was, there was no crunch, no click of the heel, it was if he didn't touch the ground at all. Stoick moved listlessly in the dark landscape, the black horizon unfamiliar and strange. His toes sunk into the sand and the waves licked at his feet. There was music, wordless, and haunting. It beckoned and called him, each step bringing him deeper and deeper into the wake.

_Stoick…_

He stopped. The voice of a woman jarred him from his aimless wanderings.

_Stoick…_

A phantasmagoric woman took shape from the black water that came to his waist. She held out her hand.

"Who are you?" He narrowed his eyes, distrusting.

Her clear lips twitched upwards. "Dear Stoick…chief of the Hooligans, I've known you from a very small boy. Take my hand."

"But who _are_ you?"

"Take my hand, Stoick. Valka is waiting…"

The question flew from his mind. "Valka? My wife?"

"Yes, and Hiccup…they are waiting for you. Take my hand…join in my wet embrace."

He reached forward, but his hand twitched. "But…who is that merman in the forge? Is that not…?"

"Take my hand, Stoick." She urged. "And all will be made known…"

_Stoick…_There was a loud pounding noise.

He reached forward again.

_Stoick…_

**Thwack**

"STOICK!"

The chief startled awake from his nightmarish dream. Someone was at the door, and it sounded like an emergency. He stood from his bed and hurried to the main room.

Astrid was on the stairs, prepared to answer if he couldn't, but he waved her away. "Go back to bed, child."

Spitlout was at the door, panting and out of breath.

"Dragon problem?" That was the last thing he expected.

"No…" he huffed. "The centurion spotted a boat coming towards Berk." He held out a scroll, made of an arrow. "This came for you."

—

Of all the times things had to go wrong, this had to be the worst. The village was in a state of instability, as the people were still trying to get accustomed to the dragons. Not to mention Hiccup and all the trouble he brought with him. Stoick shook his head.

He sat at a table in his lodge. His chiefing duties had been put aside for the moment as he read the missive over and over again, making sure he understood it. He was a brave man, and a good chief, but this was proving to be difficult. He had to consult his friend, and his heir.

Luckily, they were both at the same place, as Astrid had gone to deliver Hiccup some breakfast. He walked swiftly to the forge, doing his best to avoid curious villagers. No doubt Spitlout had started rumors already. At the door, he glanced at each of them.

"Mornin'!" Chirped Gobber, fixing a sword.

The chief acknowledged it with a nod, and made himself busy closing the windows.

"Something wrong?" Asked Astrid, sitting on the counter by the basin. Hiccup watched curiously.

"I'm afraid there is." He stated, a bit too calmly. He took a seat at the center table and beckoned them together. "I received this last night." He set the scroll on the table.

Astird nodded, not moving. "Yes, I know, who is it from?"

His nostrils flared. "It's from the Berserkers."

"Something wrong with Osvald?" Asked Gobber.

"He's dead."

The blacksmith lowered his hammer sadly, and joined his friend at the table.

"This letter is from his son, Dagur. It's a warning. He's coming in three days, because he has something important he needs to speak to us about."

"Oh, well, maybe it's just that he's trying to adjust to being chief." Gobber suggested.

Astrid shook her head. "Dagur doesn't need any help. He's been preparing for this."

"Exactly," nodded Stoick. "I think I know what this is about, but I fear it."

"What?" Asked Hiccup, curiosity biting at his lips. Then he ducked his head. "Oh, sorry, none of my business…"

"No, it is your business." Stoick confirmed. "I think he's coming for you."

"Me?" Hiccup placed a hand on his chest. "I…no, how would he know about me? I've never heard of him!"

"While you and Astrid were gone while the Gaul's visited, there was talk about you in the town. Blackmold caught wind of the rumors and asked me personally. I denied them, but I suspect he didn't believe me."

"But—…" Astrid paused.

"It was stated earlier, the value of a mermaid. I think Dagur wants a chance to scope out the village and see for himself."

"What are we going to do?" Asked Gobber.

"I could go with Toothless, back to my cave. Astrid could come, just like with the Gauls."

"I need Astrid here this time. Dagur won't believe that she's visiting a foreign island. And, I'd like you to stay somewhere we could keep an eye on you."

"Why?"

Stoick glared at him. "Ever since you arrived, there has been odd goings-on in the village. I'm not sure if I want to leave you unattended just yet."

"You still don't trust me? After everything I've done?" He accused.

"Look, it would be easier to to trust you, if you had _legs_."

Hiccup looked hurt.

"I know it's not fair. But just…do as I ask."

Hiccup could tell he was being very serious, this wasn't a time to battle for his pride. He nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good."

"What about the dragons?" Asked Astrid.

"I'll tell Toothless to take them to the other side of the island, to keep them safe." Suggested the merman.

Stoick nodded in agreement.

"So," Gobber asked, tapping his fingers on the table top. "What are we going to do about the fish stick?"

There was silence as the group thought it over.

"If this is Dagur we're talking about, he'll tear the village apart if he so much as finds a scale."

More agreed nodding.

"Hiccup, how long can you go without water?"

The boy blinked. "I start to get sick after two days."

A smile appeared on Gobber's face. "Dagur's coming in three days? I think I might have an idea."

—

Hiccup scratched at the sleeves on his arms. Tuffnut had lent the boy some old tunics that he had grown out of. The green complimented his tail and eyes, not that he cared. The fur vest was a welcomed article as it kept him plenty warm.

He sat in a wheel chair. Literally a chair with two large wheels on the back, and two smaller in the front. The first of its kind. It took Gobber a day to figure it out and build it, and then it took him two to learn how to use it. So now, he was quasi-capable in getting around. It was a great improvement over his previous state of immobility.

Gobber's idea was pretty ingenious. Hide Hiccup in plain sight, as a normal villager. The boy was smart enough to blend in, and any flaws in behavior could be attributed to him not being native to the island. The merman had the slightest of accents, that was only noticeable when talking with him for a while. That would be a benefit for him, since Dagur had never seen him before.

But, there were multiple flaws in the plan. For instance, he could only get down from the Great Hall, someone had to carry him up the stairs. The other thing was that the boy was forced to sit on his tail, and it became uncomfortable at points. But he needed to have the appearance of just not having legs. A thick wool blanket draped over his lap. The villagers had learned about the set up through rumors and gossiping. But for the most part, everyone was on board.

Currently, he was up in the Great Hall. The chief, Astrid, and the rest of the village elders were down at the docks, greeting their unwelcomed guests. He was seated at the end of the table with his sketchbook, working on his prosthetic design. Fishlegs sat nearby, watching him in fascination.

"Where did you learn to draw?"

Hiccup answered, not looking away from his pencil. "Uh...Well, I taught myself. A few years ago, I found a book that had been thrown overboard. The designs were very beautiful, and I attempted to copy them with a rock on a cliff face. Then there was an illustration of a man drawing in a book with a stick. After that, it was just experimenting and practice." He smirked, flipping back and showing off the designs.

"You're really good."

He glanced up, "Thank you."

More people began to fill the hall as Dagur and his men finally arrived. The teenage chief seemed agitated. "I said, we're not hungry!"

Gobber laughed. "Nonsense! You've had a long trip! We can see it on everyone's faces!"

Stoick joined in, "Take a break, eat, drink! We'll give you the traditional tour later!"

Dagur sighed obnoxiously. "Fine!" The boy, with his crew, sat a table near the fire before a woman came and waited on them.

Astrid took a seat by Hiccup and Fishlegs, she looked exhausted, and it had only been an hour or so.

"So, that's Dagur?" Asked Hiccup.

"Yeah, ugly isn't he?"

"One time, he made me eat week old chum that was just sitting in the sun, and then when I puked on him, he punched me in the face."

Hiccup frowned. "What a barnacle."

Astrid actually laughed. "Yeah, that's one word for him."

The meal went along relatively well, Astrid stayed with Hiccup and Fishlegs for the majority of it, before Stoick called her over to at least be cordial. She grimaced hard.

"Tell me something encouraging," she muttered to Hiccup.

"You're beautiful."

She rolled her eyes. "You've said that before."

"It's never a bad thing to repeat it. It's not something I want you to forget."

"Well, thanks." She stood. "Gods I wish I could have a vacation."

"Just remember the night in the cave."

"Wait, with the alcohol or the pool?"

"Whichever one makes you feel better."

She smiled, half hearted, and stood, ruffling his hair. "Thanks."

After she had left, Fishlegs asked, "What about alcohol?"

"It's a long story, best not to ask."

He nodded once with an 'ah'.

Hiccup continued with his drawing, Fishlegs asking questions every once in while, mostly about the dragons. Hiccup told him the story of how he came to meet his best friend, and how they saved each other. The stouter boy was fascinated, and proclaimed that he hoped he could develop a bond like that with his Gronkle, which he had dubbed 'Meatlug'.

"Any idea how things are going with Snotlout and the Monstrous Nightmare?" Hiccup asked.

"I believe he tried to communicate with it again, this time more carefully." Fishlegs glanced over to the boy who was roasting a fish over the fire. He and the twins would most likely join them later. "I think he really learned his lesson. Especially since he _still_ can't sit down."

"I'm sure he'll get over it." He laughed.

Suddenly, there was an clatter from the visitor's table as Dagur leapt to his feet and stuck a finger in Stoick's face. "I will not be tricked! There is a merman here, and I will rip this village apart board by board until I find him!"

The hall went still, and Hiccup heard Gobber gulp heavily.

Risking everything, Hiccup burst into uproarious laughter, which made the attention shift to him. Astrid stared at him wide-eyed, terrified for him. They had done a lot to hide him, he couldn't ruin it!

The merman pushed away from the table and rolled over to where Dagur stood. "Forgive me for laughing, but you said Merman, yes?"

"And what of it?" The young chief accused.

"I just thought a man of your status would know that there is no such thing as a merman."

"There have been sightings, not this many people could have the same delusion."

"I'm afraid you misunderstood me." The boy stated, holding up his hand. "Mermen do not exist, but mer_maids_…they are very real."

Dagur furrowed his brow. "Who are you anyway? I've never seen you before."

"My name is Hiccup," he stated, pleasantly.

Gobber interrupted, "He's my son!"

"Son? I wasn't aware you had a son…"

Gobber patted the head of the chair-bound boy. "Ah yes, I fell in love with a woman, and after a passionate night…we decided it was best if we went our separate ways."

Dagur was skeptical, not seeing much resemblance between the two.

"He's the spitting image of…Hella. Yes, that's where the red hair comes from."

Dagur quirked his eyebrow. "So, what brings him here?"

"Well—…" Gobber started, but Hiccup butted in.

"I was in a fishing accident. Caught in the rigging." He gestured vaguely to his nonexistent legs. "My mother couldn't take care of me, so she sent me to be with my father." He nodded.

That seemed to sedate Dagur's curiosity. "Very well. About the Mermaids, you were saying?"

"Oh! Yes. Well, as I said, Mermaid's are very real."

"I knew it! Then there must have just been some mix up in communication. There's one here on Berk! I know it!"

Again, Hiccup laughed, like he pitied the Berserker.

"What is so funny?"

"The rumor of a mermaid…and the fact you want to find one!"

"But you just said—…."

"I know." Hiccup glanced around, suddenly hyperaware that everyone was watching him. Stoick was white with rage, and Astrid looked horrified. He cleared his throat. "Mermaids are definitely one of the most beautiful and valuable creatures on earth. But trust me, you never, ever want to cross one."

"Explain," Dagur demanded.

Hiccup remembered the mermaids that had cared for him in his younger years. The beauty, offset by sheer brutality. "There's no need for mermen, since the females mate with humans." He explained.

Dagur smirked, "Oh? So, I don't want to find one, because she'll fall in love with me and I'll have to break her heart? I think I can live with that." He laughed.

Hiccup shook his head. "They aren't capable of love. Their looks are deceiving. They sing like song birds, and lure men into the water. Then, when the man can't escape, they show their true form. Eyes black like ink, and mouths that stretch far up into their cheeks." He drew a line with his fingers that came up almost to his eyes. "They have two sets of teeth; one normal human-esque set, and one that's razor sharp that fills up the whole maw. The mermaid takes the man and swims to the ocean floor where she brutality rapes him, and then drowns him. After he is dead, she eats his flesh and makes tools from his bones."

Dagur stood wide-eyed in dread. "Oh." Then he scratched his head in thought. "Well, if she's on land, then there's nothing she can do." He reasoned.

"I told you, they're tricky creatures. She'd sing for you, and send you into a trance. You'd do whatever she said, and even if you killed her, her voice would torment you until the day you die." The humor he had earlier was far gone, as he realized telling the truth about his kind would scare not only Dagur, but the Berkians as well. "They are cursed by the gods. I urge you to end this hunt before it begins."

Dagur swallowed. "How do you know all this?"

Hiccup stuttered, "I-I met one…as a child." Not a lie, at least. "I grew up in a city that had many rivers and canals, and I fell in. Children are immune to the mermaids' song, so she saved me. She warned me of the future, of when I became older and would be poisoned by their singing. Luckily, I never encountered another…"

"What about women?" Asked Astrid, out of the blue. "Are—Are they susceptible to the trance?"

"Yes. But the mermaids would only drown them. Less competition that way."

She sucked in a breath and backed away.

There was silence through the hall. No doubt, everyone was thinking about what he had said.

Dagur snorted, and shook his head. "So, you expect me to believe you, even though this so called mermaid encounter was when you were a child? You have no proof."

Hiccup shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me…for now. But you will later, when it's too late."

Dagur's captain leaned in closer. "Maybe we should listen to him."

The boy scoffed. "Of course. Right. Sure." He answered, sarcastically.

Astrid looked to the young chief, her face pale. "Dagur, Hiccup wouldn't lie. Not about this. Don't be foolish."

Dagur swallowed hard and flicked his gaze around those gathered. "You know what? I'm not going to bother with it. Not because I'm scared, or anything…it just seems like too much effort." And with that, he finally sat down.

Stoick gave a silent sigh of relief. Hiccup mirrored it, mostly surprised that it worked.

Astrid glanced over to the merman, an unreadable look on her face. It made Hiccup stay where he was instead of rolling back to Fishlegs.

Dagur folded his hands, cracking his knuckles. "Alright Stoick, if we've got that out of the way, I may as well talk to you about the real reason I came."

_Real reason?_ _Oh boy. _Hiccup lamented.

"Now, I don't care so much about this as some of the counsel members. But, I can see their point of view. Since my father is…retired, and I'm now chief. Well, we think it's best if we get a back up in place."

"You're talking about…an heir?" Stoick clarified.

"You can have Snotlout." Hiccup joked.

Astrid cupped her hand over her mouth to stifled her laughter.

Dagur rolled his eyes. "Anyways, yes. And well, since I'm chief, it needs to be legitimate. Unlike that guy." He waved in Hiccup's direction.

The merman frowned at the unnecessary comment.

"So, I need a wife. And why not kill two birds with one stone, and marry Astrid so we can unite our tribes. You have a powerful armada, sort of, and I could use the resources you have to offer. So, what do you say?"

If it was possible, Astrid had gone even more pale. Hiccup feared she would pass out. He glanced to Stoick, who actually seemed to be considering it.

Astrid was livid, but she knew better than argue. She bit her lip in wrath.

"You can't." A young man said.

Dagur's head swiveled over to the invalid. "You again?!"

Hiccup was firm, but could feel the anger pouring from the elders at the table. "Yes, Astrid is not eligible for marriage."

"And why not?"

"Because she's already promised."

"What? To you?"

Hiccup nodded, his hands tightening into fists.

"Prove it."

He opened his mouth, but quickly realized that he knew nothing about marriage.

Astrid stood quickly, "my ring!" She showed the Berserker's her hand. "He gave me a ring as a betrothal band."

Gobber joined in, "Right, it was my idea. Since I'm busy in the forge all day, he could really use someone to help him."

Astrid walked over and sat on Hiccup's lap. "And, I don't mind, I hold him close to my heart." In a literal sense, she did, as she pulled his head to her chest.

Dagur looked to Stoick for confirmation.

"Yep, it was all arranged awhile ago."

Dagur rubbed a hand across his face. "Unbelievable."

"But," inserted Astrid. "If you really need a bride, I heard Darla's desperate—er, available."

Dagur shuttered visibly. "If I so much as think about mating with her, my penis is going to shrivel up and fall off."

Gobber burst out into laughter while Astrid slid off Hiccup.

"Well, that's just great." Dagur lamented. "So, neither the reasons I came for matter. What was the point?"

"We can at least renew the treaty," Stoick offered. "So you don't have to come again in the spring."

"I suppose."

Astrid gripped the back of Hiccup's chair. "While you two take care of that, I'm going to take Hiccup home."

"Alright lass."

The chair jerked as she yanked him back and began to push him toward the doors. He swallowed hard, assuming the worst. The blonde was silent as she pushed him back to the forge, a struggle as the wheels bumped on the stairs.

Finally, Astrid escorted him to the back room of the forge, where a hammock was strung out. As soon as she closed the door, the words were spilling out of his mouth.

"I'm so sorry Astrid! I don't know what came over me! I just—I couldn't stand the thought of you being in a political marriage, especially after what we talked about—…"

Astrid silenced him, however, with a kiss to the cheek.

He looked to her in question, his cheeks instantly red.

"I'm not mad." She clarified.

"But—…"

"Look," she crouched so she could be at eye level and took his hands. "You jut saved my butt, big time. He's called Dagur the Deranged for a reason. We have no proof, but I'm likely to believe that he killed his father. No doubt, he would kill me after my use ran out."

Hiccup's eyes were wide with horror. "I didn't realize…"

"It's okay." She whispered, and kissed his temple. "Oh, it's okay…"

There were other things she worried about. Especially what he had divulged about mermaids. Had he lied, to scare off the Berserkers? Or was he warning everyone?

As she met his shy eyes, she decided she didn't want to think of it. "Thank you."


	10. The Design

Gah, more filler. But next chapter and here on out should be compelling! (I hope)

The voice haunted her in her sleep. She woke up in a cold sweat, her ears still buzzing. She only briefly realized she was standing before she concluded she was actually outside. At first, she assumed it was a dream, but after she felt the grass beneath her, and the bite to the late autumn air, she knew it was no dream.

Astrid glanced around, looking for anyone. But it the dead of night, there was no one. The whole village was in a hush that came with sleep. Curious, if not a bit afraid, the blonde made her way to the forge. She listened hard, hearing nothing. Pushing away the door and walking inside, everything was in it's place. The door to the back room was ajar, and she peered inside. Hiccup slept peacefully in his hammock, his wheelchair parked nearby. She almost wanted to awaken him, to question him…but as she drew near, she saw how peacefully he slept and lost her nerve. Instead, she pulled the blanket a little higher as he snuggled down. He could be a monster. He could be leading her to her doom. And here she was, caring for him.

She only hoped she was just sleepwalking.

—

Dagur had stayed overnight and then late into the next day. Astrid was excused from entertaining him, as she had to push Hiccup around. For this, she was overjoyed. They had to play the part of an engaged couple, but it was simple as their casual interactions depicted such. Then finally, after Dagur went home, Astrid rushed back to the forge to get Hiccup.

"The Berserker's are gone! Let's go get those dragons!" She nearly shouted as she burst into the door.

But his wheelchair sat abandoned in the middle of the floor.

Gobber was going over the specs of Hiccup's fin. "Ah, lass. I don't think he's up for it."

"Why?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked to the back room. "He was fine earlier."

"Aye, but as soon as you dropped him off, he fell out of his chair. I put him to bed, but I'm not quite sure what's wrong."

"He was pale this morning…" She mused. Going to the back, she found him curled into a ball in the hammock. His furs were pulled up to his cheeks and he shook, visibly. He panted, like he had sprinted a mile.

"Hiccup?" She asked, shaking him gently.

He groaned and pulled the blanket closer.

"Hey! You okay?"

This time he whimpered as he shook his head ever so slightly. She felt his forehead. Fever.

"Gobber, how long has he been out of water?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, a few days?"

Astrid ripped the blanket away and looked at the state of his dried out tail. The usual vibrant green was now pale and sickly. His fins were thin and brittle and it was flaking like a snake. She grimaced.

"We need to get him to some water." She declared, scooping him out of the bed. Despite the heat he exuded, his skin was very dry and was even cracking.

Gobber took a bucket and went to the well to fill up the basin on the wall.

Astrid set him inside, then took the bucket of dirty water from the floor. "Sorry, but it's all I've got." Then she dumped it on him.

He started breathing asthmatically as his tail slapped against the wood. It wasn't enough.

"Hurry up Gobber!"

Hiccup rested against the edge of the tub, looking awful. "Astrid…" He whispered.

If only the dragons had come back. She didn't know how long they would be away. It was making this so much harder.

Gobber rushed it and tripped at the last second, the water spilling on the floor and getting everywhere, except on Hiccup. "Whoops."

"Forget it!" She threw her hands into the air. "This will take too long, I'm going to take him somewhere else!" Again, she scooped him up and placed him in his chair.

As she began to push him out the door, Gobber tossed a blanket to her. "Cover him up, don't let the sun beat down on him."

She nodded and draped it over the boy. "You with me Hiccup? Can you hear me?"

"…Astrid…" He moaned.

"Hang on." She urged as they hurried into the square.

She headed to the docks first, but as she came closer, she noticed the amount of ships in port and decided that wasn't the best option, since he could sink beneath them, get squished, or a variety of other disastrous outcomes. No, there was elsewhere to take him.

She turned the chair quickly and started back up the hill.

"Asstrr…wha…?" He tried to ask.

"You can thank me later." She insisted.

They passed by Fishlegs at the well, and he had just pulled out a bucket. "Oh, hey Astrid! What's wrong with Hiccup?"

She stopped him in the shade and took the blanket off of him. "Hold this." She shoved the blanket into Fishleg's hands and stole the bucket. She gripped the bottom and dumped it on the merman, the liquid hitting him with a loud smack. He sighed in relief.

"That'll be all." She assured, taking the blanket back and draping it on him. Gripping the back of the chair, she booked it into the woods.

"What's going on?!" Fishlegs called after.

"No time to explain!" She cried back.

The duo raced through the forest, Hiccup bouncing around in his chair over each rock and twig. He huffed as he struggled to breathe. His tail was secreting a sticky slime.

His vision was blurry, shapes and lines blended into each other as things doubled over and twisted. Hiccup saw vague flashes of blonde and a sweet ringing, a knew it was Astrid. Her presence was a comfort, compared to the harsh tone of Gobber's voice and his cold callus touch. Moving around made it worse. He felt his stomach doing loops as his head filled with air.

He needed water.

The couple of buckets that were thrown on him almost made it worse, because it kept him conscious. He could feel every bump in the road and wanted to hurl the dried mutton he ate for breakfast.

Finally, Astrid came to a crevasse and wheeled him down into a cove. It was peaceful as the sun peeked through the trees and the gentle breeze skirted through the area. The air was crisp with the scent of autumn. She pushed him over to the shore of the little lake, then kicked off her boots and rolled up her leggings. Once again, she put her arms around Hiccup's limp body and pulled him up into her arms. His head rolled over to lay against her shoulder.

She waded out to her waist and lowered the boy into the water. Almost instantly, he began to sink away, before he twisted and darted into the deep.

She tried to follow, but with the water being so cold, and her inability to swim, she gave up relatively quick. She waded over to a rock that looked over the lake and pulled herself up to sit. Running her hands up and down her arms and legs, she tried to build up friction to keep herself warm.

Soon enough, the boy surfaced over by the small waterfall a few feet away. He rolled his head back and let the water crash against his neck and shoulders. Upwards he stretched his arms and thread fingers through his hair. He poised ever so carefully on the rocks, as the water revived him.

After a while, he took up a rock and rubbed it over his tail, shucking the goo and dead scales to reveal his vibrant tail.

"Does that hurt?" Astrid asked as she watched him.

He heard her over the roar of rushing water and smiled, but didn't answer. After all had been cleared away, he dipped into the water and slipped over to her. He rested his arms on the edge of the rock and looked up to her, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked.

His smile slipped away. "I…I didn't want to worry you."

"Well, you did!" She scolded. "You could have died."

"No I—…" then he stopped. "Well, I guess I could have." He swallowed and rested his head on his arms. "I'm sorry. You had a lot to worry about with Dagur, I didn't want to blow my cover."

"I understand, but this was important!" She nodded. "We could have done something. Next time, don't be afraid to get help!" She pause and then faltered, they both knew it was likely there wouldn't be a next time.

He shook his head and held out his arms. "Come on in, let's finish our swimming lesson."

She pulled her knees up. "Nope. Too cold."

"Well, we can get Toothless to—…" He paused. "They aren't back yet, are they?"

"Does he know when to come back?"

Hiccup was quiet, his tail flicking out of the water absently. "Hmm…I hadn't thought of that."

"Tell you what, after you recharge, we'll go to the other side of the island and see if we can't find them?"

The merman perked up happily and playfully squirted water in her face.

She wiped it away with mirth. "Very funny..." She droned.

It was if he finally realized that she was sitting right in front of him, her feet bared. He stared at them intently.

"What?" She asked, following his gaze.

"Those...are your feet."

"Yeah." She nodded, like it was the most obvious thing.

"May I?"

Tentatively, She stretched her limb out to him. Delicately, he reached out and cupped her ankle, examining every groove. It was much different from the toes that he had as a child. Not that he really remembered them. He pressed on the ball of her foot and pushed, seeing how far it bent in each direction.

Astrid smiled and wiggled her toes. His eyes widened slightly, as he pinched each nub and tugged on them. His fingernails softly scraped the bottom of her arch, and she had bite her lip to keep from laughing.

He glanced up to her, running his hand up her shin. "Your feet are so much nicer than Snotlout's."

Astrid burst into genuine laughter, "Well, that's good!"

He grinned and patted the top of her foot.

"Alright, time for you to repay the favor."

"Excuse me?" He demanded.

"Tail, up."

He blinked and rolled back, his tail swishing over. His fin flicked up and hit her chin. She grabbed the base of his tail, and gave him a hard stare. Hiccup smirked.

One would assume that a mermaid's tail would feel like a fish, but it didn't. It was more like a snake, smooth and wet, but not sticky and slimy. However, his fins were sharp, as she poked herself on the barbs. He pulled his tail away. "Yeah, it's ugly and gross." He claimed.

"I don't think so." The blonde stated, trying to pull it back. "It's cool. I mean, you have a tail!"

"You have feet!" He countered.

"Feet are normal."

"Tails are normal."

They both had a point as they stared at each other. Finally, Astrid broke the silence with a question. "How do you pee?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, go to the bathroom? Urinate? Exude waist?"

"Uh…" He flicked his tail up and gestured to the end, vaguely. "There's a hole." Then he smirked. "How do _you _pee?"

She rolled her eyes and met his stare. "There's a hole."

He stuck out his tongue, in teasing.

Gobber came into the area, glancing around with a parcel under his arm. "Ah! There you two are! I figured you'd be here, since you weren't at the docks. Feeling better, laddie?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Quick thinking there lass, couldn't have our good luck charm dry out!" He laughed.

"What's up, Gobber?" She asked, knowing he wouldn't be looking for them without good reason.

"Oh, I thought it might be a good idea to try this out." He set the parcel on the rock, and unwrapped it.

Hiccup peeked up over the edge. "Is that…?" He needn't ask, as the contraption looked very much like the design he had sketched.

"Yep, it's your new tail! Come on up and we'll get it strapped on."

It took a bit of adjusting, but after a few pinches, they got the fin to work. Hiccup opened and closed his tail to see the prothetic respond to his movements. "Perfect!" He smiled broadly.

"Try it out!" Astrid urged.

He nodded once and leapt into the water. It rippled behind him.

Many moments passed and there was no reply from the merman.

"I guess it worked?" Astrid asked.

"Maybe he's just overjoyed at having a working tail?" Gobber suggested.

It was then that the prothetic came flying out of the water and landed on the rock with a clang. Hiccup surfaced a few moments later, panting with exhaustion. "It's too heavy." He complained. "I sank right too the bottom."

Astrid grimaced.

"Well, maybe iron and leather aren't the best combination." Gobber shrugged.

"No kidding!" The merman scolded, resting on the side of the rock. "Leather will crack in water, and iron will rust!"

"Oh…" The blacksmith shook his head. "I knew that." He folded up the device. "Well, the mechanism works, but we just need the right materials."

"How about silk?" Suggested Astrid.

The two boys looked at her in question. "I mean, it's light and durable, like his actual fin, and the water won't do anything but mess with the dye."

"Which I can handle." He conceded.

"And what about the iron?" The blacksmith questioned.

The merman scratched his chin. "We could use a little metal for the gears, something that doesn't rust…like copper, but the frame needs to be light, hollow even!"

"Ah, you know, I think trader Johann might have some teak."

"Teak?" Astrid asked.

"It's a wood that needs to stay wet. It's bendable, should work."

"Hiccup! You have those treasures we could trade for it!"

He perked up, "Good idea!"

Gobber wrung his hands. "Then it's settled, our next prototype will be teak and silk!"

—

Freedom was a delicious satisfaction. Astrid did wheel Hiccup all the way to the northeast side of the island, where he whistled for Toothless. From there, the rest of the gathered dragons followed their alpha back to the village. Astrid could have ridden Stormfly. Hiccup almost expected her to. But, she didn't. Instead, she rode Toothless, saddled with Hiccup, claiming that she wanted to make sure that he was really okay, after the fainting incident earlier. After all, he had to make good on his promise to show her the sunset from the cloud's point of view.

Up they went, in a gentle glide, up into the clouds. The sunset had been beautiful, captivating even. Toothless, now that he liked Astrid, took it easy, instead of terrorizing her to show dominance. The girl reached out and touched the wisps, watching them disappear in her hands.

She straddled Hiccup's back, the only way should could ride on the dragon with him on it. Every tilt of the wings, and her hands would come to rest on his shoulders for support. Hiccup smiled as he assumed Toothless was doing it on purpose.

If she was honest with herself, Astrid would say she was attracted to the merman. No, it wasn't normal. And it probably wasn't a good thing. But he was so kind and smart. His desire for knowledge sparked a desire in her as well, as he continually taught her and made her think in new ways.

It was wonderful. Never before had she felt so civilized, so un-viking-like, and yet so human, like she belonged. It was nice having his company and Astrid would admit that his face was pleasant to look at, as well as the rest of him.

Soon though, to her dismay, he'd be returning to the ocean. It wouldn't take long for new prototype to be build, since Johann was scheduled to come within the week. The hardest part about it though, was realizing that with the way he had been treated by the village, he was not likely to come back. At least not often.

"Hiccup, when you go back, what will happen to Toothless?"

"He'll go with me." He stated, matter-of-factly. "We're inseparable."

She didn't doubt it. "But, since he's alpha…" She elaborated.

"Oh. I—I hadn't thought of that. There's not enough room in my grotto for all the dragons."

"Not exactly."

"Well…I guess…" He paused, not really liking what he was going to say. "I guess I'd have to let him go."

"Can't you stay?" Astrid asked, the tone in his voice breaking her heart.

He was firm. "No. I can't." Then he softened. "But I can visit."

"But—but why?"

"Astrid, let's not worry about this until the time comes, okay?"

Again, he had cut off the conversation. She wanted to pry, she really did, but something in the back of her mind forbade it. "Okay," she resigned.

She had so many things she wondered about. The things he had announced to the Berserkers, had he been serious? Surely that couldn't all be true. Still, the voice that kept her up at night begged her to wonder if it really was safe being so close with such a strange creature.

The sun's light was covered by the clouds, and the sky turned black. Stars appeared like raindrops. Astrid yawned.

"Ready to go back?" The merman asked, hearing the sound.

"Yeah, may as well."

He patted Toothless' side and the dragon began a slow descent.

They landed at the forge, and Toothless dropped the wheelchair he'd been carrying.

"Oi! Be careful with that!" Gobber shouted from the shack. "Ya big lizard!"

Toothless huffed in his general direction.

Astrid got off first and then helped the merman to slide into place. She knew he hated being carried and picked up, so she did her best to just assist him, but let him do most of the work.

"So lad," Gobber stated coming out, "why don't you two come inside, I think there's something we need to talk about."

"What's up, Gobber?" Astrid asked, following him in, diligently.

Stoick stood at the basin at the far side of the room, unannounced. Hiccup became nervous.

"Gobber told me that the testing of the prototype didn't go so well." The chief stated.

Hiccup shook his head.

"That's too bad." He scratched his chin. "Well, according to Bucket, the first winter storm is on it's way. Maybe tomorrow even. So, that said, Gobber and I have decided—…"

"You can stay through the winter!"

"Gobber!"

"What?!"

"I wanted to tell them!" Stoick shook his head. "Anyways, it'll give us more time to learn the dragons while you're here. Plus, you can stay for Snoggletog, and you won't have to go out in the cold."

"So, what do you say, lad?" Gobber asked, a broad smile on his face.

"Where will I stay?"

"Here, like always. Come," the blacksmith beckoned. He stepped to the back room and opened the door. "I'm cleaning it up, but this will be your room. Even in the future when you come to visit you can use it. Still a bit messy though."

Stoick, Gobber, and Astrid all looked at him expectantly. "Well…okay. But only through the winter. First thaw, and I'm gone."

Gobber nodded. "You have our word."

Hiccup really hoped so.


	11. The Maids

Guys, I really should have planned this story better. I feel like I'm just writing myself in a hole. I am going to finish this, but if something confuses you, let me know so I can answer it later in the story!

Like he promised, Hiccup was gone by the first thaw. The winter was pleasant, as the merman was kept warm by buildings and heated water from the forge. It was much nicer than having to claim your heat from nestling under the ice. Snoggletog was quite the experience, and he was sure to come back every year, if only to have some of the Yaknog that Astrid created. He didn't understand why everyone hated it so much.

When what seemed to be the last winter storm disappeared, Astrid accompanied Hiccup and Gobber to the cove to try out the new prototype. Toothless melted the lake.

It was an overwhelming success.

So, when the ice on shore receded far enough, Astrid wheeled her friend down to the dock and helped him ease into the frigid water, her hand clasping his. Toothless would follow his rider later in the evening, when the other dragons went to sleep. For now though, they had agreed that staying with the other dragons would help the village to adjust. They needed the stability of a trained dragon.

"Cold?" She asked, as Hiccup peered up at her.

"A bit, but I'm built to survive it." He smiled.

"I—I'm going to miss you," she admitted. "It was nice having you around."

"I'll miss you too Astrid," he agreed. "Don't cry for me."

She flushed pinked and scowled, "I wasn't going to cry!" She yelled.

He laughed. "I'm just kidding!" He pulled her a little closer. "I'll be back here tomorrow, same time. It's not like I'm leaving, just moving."

"So, you will return?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"i figured, as soon as you got the chance, you'd hightail it out of this crazy place. No pun intended. We haven't exactly been the nicest to you."

Hesitantly, he nodded, agreeing to an extent. "But you also helped me. And Astrid, you're a dear friend."

"As are you."

"Tomorrow then?"

"I'll be here."

With a tug, he leaned up and placed a brief kiss on her cheek before slipping into the water and disappearing.

Astrid smiled broadly.

—

She heard it again. The soft singing that peeled her eyes open and bid her feet to move. She tried to resist, but the song pulled and pulled, bringing her into a new realm.

Drowning. Astrid's screams were silenced as bubbles escaped her lips and floated innocently away from her demise. She couldn't fight, the force was too strong to break as it physically pulled her deeper and deeper into the dark. She heard horrible shrieks as teeth filled her vision and tore her apart. Despite the icy depths, everything burned.

"ASTRID!"

The young woman finally jolted awake, Stoick's hands grasping her tightly. She panted as the vision still gripped her, her body shook of it's own accord.

"It was a nightmare, wasn't it?" The chief asked.

Her voice was gone, she only nodded.

"I've been having them too. Drowning?"

"Yes…" She panted, staring up at him. "How did you know?"

"You were calling out for Hiccup."

Had it really been so? It would make sense, she guessed, since he could save her if she was drowning, but something seemed wrong.

It was his voice she heard, wasn't it?

_They aren't capable of love. Their looks are deceiving. They sing like song birds, and lure men into the water. Then, when the man can't escape, they show their true form. Eyes black like ink, and mouths that stretch far up into their cheeks. _She remembered his words, and considered them with a true sense of fear. _You'd do whatever she said, and even if you killed her, her voice would torment you until the day you die._

Hiccup was different though, wasn't he? He—…

"Stoick, what are your nightmares about?"

The chief sighed and sat on the bed. "The water. It keeps calling me."

"Ever sense Hiccup arrived?"

"Yes."

"Do you hear…singing?"

"Yes." He nodded again. "And I'm not the only one," he sighed. "My dear, I didn't want to frighten you, but those odd goings on I told you about? Well…Hoark heard singing and followed it right off the cliffs."

Astrid gasped in horror and covered her lips.

"Fortunately, it was the shorter side, and he's fine…but what if someone else isn't so lucky?"

Astrid peered up at her chief. "Do you really think Hiccup would do that?"

He folded his hands. "I don't think so. I have really come to like the boy, especially over the winter. He's clever, and very funny…but he's still a monster. You have got to be careful. There's no telling if what he told Dagur was the truth about mermaids."

"I don't want to believe it. He's my friend."

"Aye, lass." He tweaked her chin. "As a chief, it burdens me that there could be a threat…but as a father…" He stopped there, leaving Astrid with so many questions. "Goodnight, darlin'."

"Goodnight Stoick."

She wouldn't sleep though, no. Her thoughts kept leading back to the troubled depths, the waters of fury. Surely, if she got to close, she wouldn't be able to swim the deep divide.

Tomorrow, she would confront him. Tomorrow she would face the truth she had consistently denied.

—

After her morning duties, the blonde raced down to the dock, ready to interrogate the boy she had called her friend.

"Hiccup! Hiccup, come on out you…you guppy!"

There was no sign of the fish boy. Grumpy, the girl sat on the deck and waited. Either he lied and wasn't coming back, or she was just bad with her timing. Dangling her foot off the edge, she looked out to the horizon, organizing her words.

Many moments passed before a hand grabbed her foot. Astrid nearly screamed as she jolted.

Hiccup surfaced and combed his hair back. "Did I scare you?" He teased.

"You _surprised_ me." She stated cooly, her heart still pounding in her chest.

He laughed, "Well, I brought you a present." And he reached up and handed it to her.

"Hey! His helmet! Er—my helmet, I guess."

"_His?_" The merman questioned.

"Hiccup's. Not you Hiccup, other Hiccup."

"Oh…" The merman said, looking at his reflection in the metal.

"Stoick gave it to me when I started Dragon Training last year. Said he wanted me to stay safe. I don't really like it though, because I know it's not rightfully mine." She set it on the deck.

"Well, I thought I'd give it back to you."

"Thanks, I know Stoick would be happier to know it's not at the bottom to the ocean."

He smiled.

Before she got lost in this deep green eyes, she had to get some answers. "Hey Hiccup, I have to talk to you about something."

"Okay." So he grabbed the edge of the dock and pulled himself up to sit next to her, weight leaning back on his arms. "It was nice being back in the water. Not that you didn't take care of me, but it's just so open and fresh…You know?"

She didn't. Not really, but she didn't say otherwise. "Yeah…so, here's the thing."

He looked at her with a pleasant half smile. With that look, she couldn't find the heart to convict him of anything. He looked like the epitome of innocence, he would never hurt anyone. Especially not her. How could she ask him?

"Do you…Do you hear singing?" The question came from her lips without much thought.

He frowned. "What kind of singing?"

"It's…not like anything I've ever heard before…so soothing…so pretty." She leaned forward.

"Astrid?" He grabbed her shoulder. "What are they saying?"

"I don't know…"

He looked down at her hands. "Where's the ring I gave you?"

She didn't answer.

"Astrid! Where's the ring?"

"Necklace…" She muttered as her eyes drooped and then closed.

Suddenly, two beings surfaced from the water. One brunette and one blonde.

"Stop!" called Hiccup, but the music pressed on.

Seeing no choice, Hiccup tackled Astrid to the dock, and pinned her, his face mere inches from her own. His mouth spit high into his cheek bones as razor sharp teeth lined his jaws. The beautiful green of his eyes were blotted out with black. He hissed and shrieked in her face, already cursing her with nightmares for many nights to come. She snapped out of her trance, but she was frozen in utter terror. He took the opportunity to fish out her necklace and rip off the ring and place it on her finger. He then leaned off.

Astrid scooted back on the dock, looking at the now three monsters that sat a few feet away. The music that had barricaded her over and over was silenced, and she could hear herself think.

The two new mermaids looked at her in interest. The brunette rested her head on the wood.

"What was that?" Asked Astrid, with good reason.

"That ring I gave you, I told you it protects you."

"…yes?"

"Mermaids communicate with song. It's just a part of what they do. That ring blocks out their spell. That's what I was trying to tell you."

"Then…why did you have to scare me?"

"To snap you out of it."

She breathed hard and looked over to the mermaids that still watched her carefully. "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know," he turned to them. "What are you doing here?"

They didn't answer the question. "Who is this?" Asked the blonde. "Did you use a seal on that ring?"

"Yes, she's my friend, her name is Astrid." He answered.

"She's weird looking!"

"I think she's beautiful," said the brunette. "I've never seen a live human this close before."

Astrid gulped at the term 'live'.

"Astrid, these are my sisters," He gestured to them. "Camicazi and Heather."

"I didn't know you had sisters!" Astrid smiled.

"Not blood sisters," Heather corrected, "we're from the same school."

"He's not blood related to anyone." Camicazi stated, blatantly, as she adjusted the many necklaces that laid upon her bare chest.

Heather nudged her. "Mind yourself."

Hiccup shook his head. "She knows."

Cami ducked under the deck and surfaced next to Astrid instead. "You like her, don't you? Have you bonded with her? Did you give her your breath?"

"No…" he blushed.

"Then why did you give her a seal already? Did she save you?"

"Actually…" Astrid interrupted. "I'm the one who…" She gestured at his tail.

The mermaids dove back into the water, before cautiously coming back out.

"It was an accident." Hiccup corrected.

Cami laid out on the deck and flicked Hiccup with her tail. "Elder told you that you'd get hurt playing with the humans."

"Yeah yeah." He shook his head.

"So, the seal is the ring, and that prevents me from hearing the mermaid's singing?" Astrid clarified.

"Yep!" Cami chirped. "We can seal anything for humans, if we grow attached." She looked pointedly to her brother, "which we aren't supposed to do!"

He pushed her off the dock and into the water.

"She says that, but I saw the way she looked at the young man from the Meatheads." Heather smirked.

Cami popped out of the water on the other side of the dock to defend herself. "I was just admiring his muscles! They must be tasty!"

Astrid grimaced before Hiccup laid a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, don't listen to her. She's obsessed with food."

"Is…human flesh all you eat?"

The merfolk cackled in laughter. Heather answered through mirthful tears. "Absolutely not. We'd starve if that was the case!"

It didn't really ease her mind though.

"Okay, well, if the seal prevents me from hearing the song, then how did I not hear anything during the first few days we caught you, Hiccup?"

"I don't sing." He said simply.

Her nostrils flared in confusion. She was so sure she heard singing. Stoick even said others heard it, unless there was someone else?

"Oh, he's just fibbing! He has a lovely song! He just never uses it!"

"I have no need to use it." He pouted. "You know I find no sport in drowning the humans. There would be no reason for me to, anyway."

"But I thought you said it how you communicate?" Astrid asked, frustrated.

"But it's not the only way." Heather smiled. "Brother seems to be the only one who can turn it on and off."

Astrid nodded in understanding, starting to get the picture. "Can other mermen do that too? Is it exclusive to males?"

"Don't know." Stated Cami. "Never seen another before."

Hiccup looked antsy, as they were bordering into uncomfortable territory for him. The girls obviously wouldn't know anything about his parents. She narrowed her eyes on the boy.

"Are you some sort of Alpha-mermaid?"

Hiccup's eyes widened in laughter. "What?! What gave you that idea?!"

"Well, only male, special abilities…"

She had a good point.

"No Astrid, I'm not an alpha. That doesn't exist in our world."

"Then do you have a chief or a ruler?"

"We have the water!" Cami smiled. "The water dictates our way of life."

Astrid opened her mouth and then shut it again. Taking a moment to digest that sentence, she replied, "I'm not even going to try to understand that."

"Are all humans this curious?" Asked Heather.

Hiccup replied. "No, just her."

"I like answering her questions!" sang Cami. "Next!"

"So, if I may…" Astrid eased into her question and braced herself for the answer. "Do you have the ability to love?"

Again, she was met with laughter. "Of course! We aren't mindless creatures!"

"We love each other very much!" Cami exclaimed before tackling Hiccup and crashing into the water.

"But, I mean—…"

Heather examined her critically. "The love between a mermaid and a human." Heather finished. Cami and Hiccup joined them again as the brunette continued. "It is not common. Because a human usually only finds us when under our trance."

"But," added Cami, "we have heard stories of sailors being rescued by mermaids. They are not under a trance, but then, the mermaid gives him her breath…and he cannot be entranced."

"So they can fall in love, if it so happens to be."

"So, then, what's the bonding?"

Hiccup blushed a bright red and interjected, "A conversation for another time!" Then he looked to his sisters. "But seriously, what caused you two to come so close to the shore? I checked in yesterday."

"Right," said Heather. "And you said you had befriended a human, so we figured if you weren't at your grotto, you'd be here."

Cami piped in, "Eira said she saw a fleet of ships heading this way from the north. They look dangerous, so don't try to pillage them."

Astrid was pulled into the conversation. "Did they have skulls on the front?"

"I think so." Said Heather.

Outcasts. Nodding in affirmation, she bid farewell with, "Thank you for the information, I must go tell our chief." Astrid stood, making the mermaids stare in awe. She smiled at them and then said to Hiccup. "I'm sorry to cut our visit short, but this is very important."

He nodded. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye Astrid!" The mermaids waved before diving into the water.

Well, that had gone better than expected.

—

So she told Stoick what she had learned. The chief was ecstatic with the fact that they now had allies in the water. They theorized that the Outcasts would be coming from the north and plan on sneaking through the woods into the village. Not the easiest route, but definitely the least suspected.

Stoick called his council together to discuss a strategy. Of course, they all planned on the old viking way and taking an armanda out and meeting them before they got to Berk.

Astrid was the one who piped up and asked, "How about the dragons?"

"What _about_ the dragons?" Spitelout questioned.

"Well, we have been training them to help us with building and fishing, why not defense? I mean, it's likely that the Outcast's will get to Berk before us, so why even bother with the ships if we're just going to damage them anyways? With the dragons, the battle will be quick and easy."

"How do we know the dragons would even fight?" Asked Gobber, making a good point.

"Hiccup said that they're territorial. So, if something comes to destroy their home, it should stand to reason that they'd protect it."

The villagers all nodded in agreement.

"Tonight, we can ride to the other side of the island and wait for them there. Ambush them before they can ambush us."

"Those without dragons can stay behind and protect the children and the elders."

"Should I go tell Hiccup the plan?" Asked the girl.

"What ever for?"

"Since Toothless is the Alpha—…"

"No, leave him out of this. If the Nightfury wants to accompany us, then he can. But the merman has helped enough."

She sighed a loud. "Fine, but you should tell Toothless what your doing."

Stoick looked insulted. "Talk to the dragon?!"

"Sure. He's smart. He understands us."

He rolled his eyes and huffed. "Alright, I'll try it. If only to help with our plan."

"Great! I'll saddle up Stormfly and—…"

"No, not this time."

Astrid exasperated. "You're going to have to let me fight some day."

"Yes, but until that day, I need you over on this side. They need a leader, and you rule in my stead. This will be good practice for you."

She groaned but didn't argue. He always had a good argument. "Fine, I'll watch the village."

He patted her back. "That's my girl!"

The blonde rolled her eyes.

—

Night fell on the unassuming village. The warriors departed into the woods, some on dragon back, and some being carried by talons, heavy laden with weapons. Astrid sat upon her Nadder, looking out onto the horizon, where the sun was setting. This would be a boring evening. Everyone was gathered at the great hall, along with other guards to help. Stormfly squawked insistently.

"No, girl. We can't go flying right now, we're on patrol." Still, she wished she could go out, sunset was the most beautiful time of the day. A part of her wanted to go down to the dock and see if Hiccup was around. Maybe he scoped out the fleet and he could give her another eye of the battle. But still, she would keep her eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

Nightfall, and still nothing, as she expected. The action would come later, when the men would return home with wounds to be treated. Stormfly crooned and fluttered.

"It's passed you're bedtime, huh girl?" Astrid slid off and scratched her side. "I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. Why don't you go to bed?"

Torn, the nadder nuzzled her rider with affection. She was exhausted, but didn't want to leave her human alone. Astrid took her axe from her saddle bag. "I was the best in dragon training, you remember. If I can take down I a dragon, I can take down an Outcast."

Placated, the dragon purred in content and then took to the sky to go to her roost outside the chief's house. Astrid continued her rounds as she passed the empty houses. Admittedly, it was creepy. No one was around and the homes were all dark. The axe on her back was a easy burden to carry, as her fingers ached to hold the handle.

Finally, she got some action when she saw a light down by the dock. Her first thought was 'Hiccup!' but that didn't make any sense. Since he was a merman and had no use for light. It had to be a decoy. An Outcast was an Outcast, and she would get the jump on them first. Quietly, she made her way down to the docks, hiding behind walls and rocks. Finally, the small ship was in sight and the light went out. She cursed the darkness as it made the head count hard to make. Onward she crept, careful to stay invisible.

Her blood ran cold when a voice spoke behind her.

"Hello, darling."

Body on autopilot, she whirled around and kicked the intruder in the knee, then yanked her axe from her shoulders. She raised her blade to his throat. "Don't move. Whatever you have planned isn't going to work."

A new voice spoke, "Oh, but I think it already has."

She swung her blade out in a new direction, aiming for the voice. She hit something solid and heard a grunt. Her victory was short lived however, as someone else grabbed her ponytail. She threw back her elbow and sought freedom. Every punch she threw landed on a new target, and she felt like more and more Outcasts were ganging up on her.

Suddenly, she was lifted off the ground and someone shoved a cloth in her mouth. She writhed in the man's grasp, but he held firm.

"Quite the fighter, isn't she?"

"She's Berk's heir after all."

"Well, she'll be worth every cent."

"Where's everyone else? The whole village looks empty."

"Doesn't matter, let's just go before anyone can tail us."

Astrid tried to scream, but it came out as muffled sighs. The brutes carried her down the dock and dropped her on the deck of a boat. A blindfold blocked her vision as her hands and feet were bound with heavy chains.

"You're not going nowhere!" Laughed a greasy voice.

"You think Alvin's going to be angry we didn't stick to the plan?"

"Nah, I think he'll be happier there was less work for him! Let's go!"

As the boat gave a horrendous lurch, Astrid was regretting on sending Stormfly home.


	12. The Hostage

Sorry for the lateness. School and stuff.

There were few things that Astrid Hofferson was truly afraid of. Open water and the unknown where the main things, and considering that she was wearing a blindfold while she was on a boat…well, she was terrified.

By the faint light that peeked through the edges of the blindfold, she saw the moon making it's way across the sky, morning would come soon, but they were too far away from Berk for anyone to find them now.

A torch lit. "Let's anchor for the rest of the night! We have two barrels of ale and high spirits!"

The assembled crowd cheered with gladness and excitement. Astrid sneered. She could hear the joy of the crew as barrels were opened. Liquid splashed and a vague scent of alcohol pierced through the air. "Let's drink to a successful mission, and Alvin's praise!"

"And to the reward Berk surely will pay!"

There was cackling and an echo of clinking mugs. A foot landed on her shoulder and pushed her down. "You're going to be worth some handsome coinage, young Haddock."

The name was Hofferson. If they were kidnapping her, they should at least do some research. Then again, most people didn't realize she wasn't Stoick's biological daughter. He introduced her as his heir or protege, and assumptions were made. The Outcasts didn't care one bit about her or her lineage, just her position in the village. Another reason for her to hate it.

So she sat, with her back against the hull and her ears pounding with drunken racket. It was only a matter of time before they started to get bad ideas.

Not that this was a good idea to start with.

The night pressed on as different crewmen towered over her and offered her ale, as a joke. They laughed when she grunted. Many of them took advantage of her bonded state to whisper lewd and dirty things to her. The brave Hofferson took them in stride, knowing they were doing it to get a reaction from her. One even copped a feel, but she remained stone faced.

"Men, leave the hostage alone. There will be other time for fun."

Astrid clenched her hands into fists, ready to attack the first man to unchain her. As soon as she could, she would figure out an escape. Even if she had to train a flock of Terrors to fly her home. Which, even now, could literally be a plan.

Whispering from behind her, a voice called, "Astrid!"

Hiccup's voice was music to her ears. He may as well have been singing. She tilted her head to indicate she was listening.

"Astrid, there's a storm coming, sometime around day break." He explained. "I'll be following the ship. At the opportune moment, I want you to jump off the boat."

Astrid clanked her chains against the wood.

"It's okay, I'll catch you. I won't let you drown." A wet finger touched the back of her neck and made her shiver. "I'll be right here Astrid. I'm with you."

She was still bound and gagged. Drunk men where sprawled out around her. She was still a hostage and Hiccup had no weapons. But the fact that he was there, and was reassuring her that she would be alright, calmed her fear of the unknown. Her shaking was beginning to wane, and she could hear the rolling thunder in the distance.

Hours passed and Astrid listened to the rowdy vikings doze off one by one. She knew there were plenty still awake and sober, since someone had to pay attention. She was exhausted, but she dared not to fall asleep, lest that was when the storm came. She needed to be prepared.

Then, she finally heard a clap of thunder and the rush of rain heading towards them.

"Secure the sails! Brace yourselves!"

The waves rocked the ship as the freezing wind picked up. Astrid's heart thudded in her chest.

"Raise anchor! Baton down supplies!"

"What about the hostage?"

"She'll be fine! Those chains weigh more then she does!"

It wasn't a totally exaggeration.

She felt a few drops hit her head before there was a total downpour. The ship was alive with the crew running about and tending to the cargo. She was sure someone would at least move her, but no, she remained untouched. She attributed it to the mostly drunken men who made loud steps around her and puked off the side.

So much chaos would provide a nice escape.

She shook the blindfold from her face and saw the disarray in full. The waves where swelling, lifting the ship like it weighted nothing, tens of feet into the air, and then bringing it back down. Each wave was bigger then the last. Lighting streaked across the sky.

Dawn had arrived, and with it, her saving grace.

She scanned the crew, finding them disorientated or busy, and she squatted on her feet. The waves lifted the ship, and at the precise moment, she took a deep breath and heaved all of her weight over the edge of the ship, the chains creating a momentum.

On deck, crew started shouting and raced for nets. They couldn't lose their hostage.

Astrid crashed into the sea, almost immediately beginning to sink. She tried to float, like Hiccup had taught her, but the chains were much too heavy. She peeled her eyes open, finding the depths much calmer then above. Then, she watched in fascination as Hiccup appeared in front of her, in his true glory. His short hair swirling in the waves as his eyes pierced into her own. His tail curled and whipped in the waves like a snake as he neared her. He smiled in comfort and then swam underneath, wriggling between her bound arms and legs.

_I've got you_. He spoke, and she heard him clearly. _Just a little further_.

Nets descended as she clung to him, her throat clamping up as her body demanded air. She clenched her eyes shut and counted. She could feel Hiccup's smooth tail sliding between her legs and knew they were still moving. Bubbles were escaping her lips as she so desperately wanted to exhale.

He cupped the back of her head and pulled her close to his chest before he twisted to fit into a crevasse.

She needed air. She became light headed and she started to struggle in his grasp, fighting to get to the surface.

They broke the water and she almost swallowed her gag in an effort to breathe. Her nose flared as the cold air filled her lungs and let her head roll back as Hiccup held her. The merman slid out from her grasp and eased her up on a rock. "You okay?" He prodded, pulling the gag out.

She coughed up water she had sucked in her nose, and nodded. She took a moment to breathe before answering, "For the most part." Her eyes screwed shut. "No, no I'm not."

He leaned against the rock, allowing her to hug his form. She shook vehemently as short sobs cut through the air.

"I'm sorry, I know you needed air, but we couldn't be spotted, and I swam as fast as I could—…"

She shook her head. "On that ship…I thought I was going to die. Hiccup, I was so scared. I don't scare easily, but that was awful."

His arms went around her waist. "You're okay now. I'm here."

She didn't doubt that he'd protect her. His mouthful of teeth was evidence enough that he was a force to be reckoned with. The only problem was, that she didn't want to be protected. Astrid was independent, and strong. she could always defend herself.

But she couldn't swim. So she had to humble herself to depend on him. And judging by how nice it felt to be held by him, it wouldn't be too hard.

Finally she asked, "Where are we?" The sounds of the storm were muffled by the rocks and it was pitch black.

"A cavern by Thor's rock."

"We're all the way out there?"

"The storm carried the boat in that direction." He felt the shackles on her ankles and wrists. "I found this cave sometime last summer. I remembered it had an air pocket. We're just lucky that it wasn't too far away."

She nodded and shivered. As much as she wanted to get back into the water, it wasn't much warmer then the air.

"I know of a ship wreck not that far from here. I'm going to see if I can find something to get those shackles off."

"Sh-Should I get out of these wet clothes?" Her teeth chattered.

"No, you're clothes are wool, and will keep you warm better then nothing. I'll try to be back as soon as a can."

"Alright." She nodded, hugging herself.

He was gone for a long time, leaving Astrid to herself. The dark cave was not in the wind, but she could hear it whistling through holes somewhere up above. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that the shelf she sat on was rather large, big enough for two people to lay out on. That was fortunate, she figured. Though, the ceiling was covered with stalactites that dripped. They looked stable at least. Over all, being in a dark cave alone beat being on a ship with a bunch of vicious drunks.

It was so different from Hiccup's cave. Even though they looked to be made of the same type of rock, his was so much warmer, and it felt like a home. She was comfortable there. This place, however, made her feel lost. She just wanted to go home.

Astrid dozed off a few times, only to be awaked by a chill. She was sure she'd be sick by time she got home. She _would _get home though, she knew Hiccup would deliver her safely.

Finally, he surfaced and Astrid could see various tools in his arms. He set them down on the shelf with a clang. "I found a few things we could try."

"Okay, just…try not to take off my fingers, okay?"

He sat next to her and selected the axe. "No promises."

She placed her feet in front, facing him, with the chain tugged as taut as it could go. She covered her eyes, nervous. Hiccup may have used his arms for pulling himself up places, but the skinny size betrayed his strength. The blade dropped with a bang, and chains split clean. Astrid then laid down her wrists and Hiccup broke those as well.

"So, I have my arms free, but they're still weighted down."

"I'm working on that." He held up a white double edged saw.

"What is _that_?"

"It's a skull. Ever heard of a sawfish?"

"Um, no?"

"Figured."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She rested her hands on her hips.

"It's a ray. It doesn't really travel up this far unless it's following the current. It might work." He started with the cuff at her ankle, sawing through the bolt that held it shut.

It snapped apart with a satisfying 'ping'. "It worked." Noted Astrid.

"Yeah, but…" He held up what was left of the skull. Most of the teeth had fallen off. He tossed it over his shoulder. "But don't worry, I have one more idea."

"Hope it works."

He held up a large nail and a hammer.

"Alright," she adjusted her foot, "let's try it."

He carefully placed the nail at the base of the bolt and hammered, careful not to hit his fingers or her. He fiddled with it, angling it to strike the crease. Eventually it gave and the shackle popped open.

The girl rubbed her ankles. "The boots helped."

"Then let's get your wrists." He took her hand and rested it at an angle on a rock.

Many careful strikes later, and she was free. "Oh, thank you Hiccup." She said with relief as she massaged her wrists. "That was awful."

"I bet." He conceded, pushing the tools into the water. He then glanced over to his friend to see her hugging herself. "Still cold?"

She nodded. "I'm sure you were right about the wool, but I would just love a fire!"

"I would too, but there's nothing to build a fire with. It's all wet."

She sighed and brought her legs closer. "Okay."

"We have to wait here until night," he continued. "The ship is still looking for you, and it'll be hard to fight the storm waves."

"Okay." She shrugged off her wet fur hood. "This is useless."

Biting his lip, he battled with his thoughts before he reached over and grabbed her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled her towards him, and she let him. He laid down and pulled her to lay on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulder. "I'm keeping you warm," he finally answered. "Sorry if it's weird."

"It's okay." And she meant it. She was freezing, and laying against his chest, where she could feel his blush, helped to thaw her blood.

"Rest up. It's a long swim back to Berk."

She nodded against him, but was already halfway asleep. She hadn't slept since yesterday, and she was exhausted. His chest made a nice pillow anyway.

—

Night came, and she was awakened by Hiccup shaking her shoulder gently. "We need to get you home."

She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and nodded in agreement. Then she looked at the water that was waiting for her. She shivered.

"It's not going to get any warmer by you staring at it."

"I know," she groaned. "Gods, this is the last thing I want to do when I wake up."

"The sooner you get home, the sooner you an get all cozy in furs and sit by the fire and drink hot tea." He bargained.

Then she stomach growled loudly.

"And eat some good food." He chuckled.

"Okay, you convinced me." Carefully, she eased her feet in, and then the rest, shivering all the while. She held tightly to the shelf. "I still can't swim."

"It's alright." He dove in and saddled up next to her. "Put your arms around my neck, I'll swim us back together."

"Okay," and she reached out and clung to him, her legs around his waist as well. Maybe he would help fight back the cold.

"Hold your breath."

She gasped loudly and then buried her face between his shoulder blades.

Swiftly he cut through the water, darting out of the cave and into the night. It wasn't long before her grasp turned desperate and she clawed at him. He surfaced and she breathed.

"Already?"

"Yes, already, I can't hold my breath very long."

"Well, I was hoping to at least get away from the rocks."

Turning around, she saw Thor's rock only a few feet away. "Oh."

"This is going to be a long trip."

"Can't you swim on the top of the water, so I can breathe?"

"I suppose so, but it won't be as fast." He started out, his hands propelling them across the surface as she thought about what to do.

"I guess you could go under, if I just give you a sign when I need to breathe."

He turned his face to the side to talk to her. "That could work. But please don't scratch me."

"Deal."

The night lagged on slowly as Astrid tugged on his ear almost every minute. Then it stretched on to two minutes, and then three. But it didn't get better than that. Three miles out, Astrid tugged on his hair and he surfaced.

"Is there anyway we can take a break? I'm feeling light headed." She stated. Holding her breath for so long had her seeing spots.

"That's fine. Do you remember how to float?"

She gulped and then let go of him, rolled over, and rested her weight out over her limbs. He floated next to her and held her hand, just so she wouldn't drift away.

The moon was brighter that the night before, and the sea was now calm. Had the water not been so cold, it could have been romantic. Astrid's thumb drifted absently over Hiccup's knuckles. It was a nice night.

Hiccup picked up a few vibrations from the water. It was rhythmic, unlike nature's sounds, and it made him raise his head from the water.

"What?" Astrid asked, glancing over to him.

The merman's eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon. Turning around, he nearly jumped when he saw a ship heading right at them. "Oh great…" He muttered.

The blonde heard him speak and followed his gaze. At the sight, she started to sink and reached out to him. Hiccup easily grabbed her and eased her onto his back.

"What kind of ship is that? It doesn't look like ours." She said, with trepidation.

"I don't know. I…think it has a skull on it?"

"Another outcast ship!"

Hiccup took in the surrounding area. It was all open water, no rocks to hide behind.

"Have they seen us?"

"I don't know, but they will. We need to dive."

She nodded and held tight. The merman cut through the water in haste, hoping to go under the ship and get far enough away from it before surfacing. Right when he was underneath, Astrid tugged on his ear to surface.

_Not now_, he urged, and hurried his pace.

A few feet more and her tugging became insistent. _I can't! They'll see us!_

She wasn't listening though, her chest was tight and heaving for air hat she could not provide. Her heart beats were loud like thunder in her ears.

Astrid let go. She kicked and flailed with everything to get to the surface. She almost made progress too,

until Hiccup grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down. Easily, he overpowered her and grabbed her shoulders. He couldn't believe he was doing this, to Astrid of all people. Downward he swam, forcing her deeper into the abyss. Her limbs felt numb and she stopped fighting.

He was going to drown her. She had begged with him, asking for him to spare her from this fate. And now, he would be responsible for it. Images of long fangs and inked eyes filled her vision, as she had known all along what his true nature was. How she wished she had heeded the warnings.

Bubbles escaped her lips and cascaded around his stern face. He was mad at himself, but this is what had to be done. He wanted to save her, and even if she hated him for it, it was all he could do.

Before her vision went dark, she saw Hiccup's face soften and a delicate smile stretch over his features. No longer was she terrified, but only heart broken. He had betrayed her, and in her last moments he was still trying to be kind.

Hiccup took her face into his hands, brushing the hair away, and leaned in. His lips sealed against hers, forcing her eyes to shut to the darkness. His breath leaked through her slightly parted lips, filling her completely. Finally, the young woman relaxed into a float. Hiccup cradled her to his chest and sank down to the ocean floor. There, he watched the struggling rise and fall of her chest as her body adapted to the change. Her steady heart beat kept him at ease.

Time passed and the ship up above had long since moved on. Hiccup continued to hold Astrid, being careful not to move her. He played with her dancing hair, and pressed apologetic kisses to her cheeks.

Astrid jolted awake with a gasp, bubbles erupting from her mouth. She twisted around, trying to understand where she was. Then she saw Hiccup. He had the audacity to smile at her.

She tried to slap him, to punch him, anything, but the water proved to resist her force. Frustrated, she grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him forward, delivering a hard bite to his neck.

_Ow! _He claimed._ What was that for?!_

"For drowning me, you jerk!" She attempted to yell, only for it to come out in a fury of bubbles.

_Listen, I know you're mad. But hear me out._

Astrid crossed her arms, red in the face, and scowled.

_Our options were for you to go up there and get caught again. Then they might have caught me too_. He sighed. _It's all I could think of in those short seconds. I'm sorry. _

Her stern facade started to chip away, as she glanced off.

_And…now, you won't ever drown. Because you can breathe underwater. _

A thought occurred to the young woman and she grasped her neck.

_And_ _you can breathe above water just the same. I'll answer whatever questions you have, later. _

Astrid nodded as her vision grew blurry. With no answer, she pursed her lips and wiped at her eyes. The shock of the incident was starting to come up on her.

_Are you crying? _Hiccup asked, with little tact.

She shook her head, a sob of bubbles betraying her actions. Concerned, the young merman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his embrace. She hiccuped but refused to let herself full out cry.

_I'm sorry I scared you. I promise, hurting you is the last thing on my mind. _

She nodded against him, believing him.

_Then let's get you home. _


	13. The Return

Short chapter. I'm really not liking this story. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not doing so well on it. I love the concept, and the events make it fun, but I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm rushing it. Someday I'll go back and touch it up. Thanks for all the love and reviews!

Exhaustion was not a strong enough word. Hiccup glided into shallow waters, and Astrid let go of his shoulders. Thankful to be on solid ground, she waded up to shore, guiding him along. With what little strength she had left, she pulled him up to the dock. He laid still and panted. Never before had he swam so far and so fast in one go. It had taken all night and halfway into the next day to arrive.

He laid on his side, as Astrid laid next to him. Wistfully, she parted his hair from his face. Green eyes looked in wonder.

Words could not express the gratitude she owed. She had made it back alive, mostly unharmed. She cupped his cold cheeks and rubbed the water away with her thumb. His eyes never left hers.

"Thank you." She whispered. She reached out and pulled him to her chest, where he rested. She hugged him tight and combed the tangles from his matted hair. "You're my best friend," she whispered. "Without a doubt. But…I need to know…Hiccup, I—…"

"There you are!" A booming voice echoed from the other end of the dock. Stoick jogged over, along with many other villagers. As she pulled herself up to her knees, he lifted her into a hug. "I've been worried sick! Where have you been?!"

Taking up the persona of an heir, Astrid stood proud and told her Chief, "The Outcast attack here on Berk was a ruse. A single ship came around while I was patrolling the village and took me hostage. Thankfully," she gestured to Hiccup, "he followed the ship and saved me."

"Are you alright?"

"A little water logged, but not bad." Though, after she said it, she sneezed hard and groaned.

Gobber sided up to his friend. "'s a little early in the year to be going for a swim, dontcha think?" He then went and knelt next to the merman. "He okay?"

"Yeah, he's just tired, swam three days in a row."

Hiccup grunted from the ground.

"Ey, that would be exhausting." The blacksmith whistled and Fishlegs came forward with his trusty wheelchair. Gobber lifted the fish boy by the scruff of his neck and set him in the chair. His head rolled back.

"Let's go to the great hall!" Stoick shouted. "Let us feast, for my heir has returned safely to us!"

The assembled crowd cheered wildly.

"Stoick, can we both rest a bit? Hiccup's exhausted, and I haven't slept since yesterday, and it wasn't even a good sleep."

The chief surveyed the weary teens and supposed, maybe rest would be good. "A nap, and we shall feast at dinner!"

Hiccup was already snoring away.

—

The merman had slept a good part of the day away, and he probably would have gone well on into the evening too, if Gobber hadn't shook him awake. He was hauled down to the Grand Hall and draped with warm furs. The hot tea in his hand was constantly refilled, as maids asked if he was okay. He didn't mind the pampering. It was just all the people and questions. At least he was in a chair, so he didn't have to move.

"So how did you save her?" Snotlout asked, his arm on the back of his chair. "Did you pull the old 'jump-on-the-boat-and-steal-the-treasure' routine?"

The merman was beginning to get a headache from all of Snotlout's badgering. "No, I just caught her after she jumped off the boat."

"It took you a long time to get back."

"Yes, we were all the way out by Thor's rock."

"That's not _that _far." He argued.

"Try swimming it." Hiccup challenged.

"Snotlout, leave him alone. He saved my life, you should be happy."

"All I'm saying is that, it seems pretty convenient that Hiccup was the one to save you."

Fishlegs piped into the argument. "Snotlout, she was on a boat, who else would have saved her?"

"Exactly!" He pounded the table, making Hiccup cross his eyes. "You planned the whole thing! Didn't you?!"

"That is literally the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Astrid posed. Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Oh come on Astrid!" The brunette chided.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you assume I did this…" Hiccup wondered aloud.

"It's simple." Snotlout explained, holding out his hands to gesture. "You have the Outcasts kidnap Astrid, then you save Astrid, bring her back and be a hero, and then have her all to yourself."

The merman rolled his eyes. "Even if that was my plan, there's a flaw." Hiccup raised his tail and flicked him in the face. "It would never work. I have fins, she has legs."

Astrid chuckled under her breath, since she had been the one to say that to him.

Snotlout made unintelligible sounds of frustrations, and then left the table.

"I like messing with him." Hiccup confessed. "He's funny when he's angry."

Scooting a bit closer, Astrid turned to Hiccup. "So, about what happened in the water…by the boat?" She spoke under her breath, trying to hide from her friends. "Will I…grow fins or something?"

"No." He chuckled. "I don't know all the specifics, but you can just breathe under water. But not all the time, like, if you decided to run away from home, you couldn't start a life under the sea."

She nodded, understanding. "Okay, follow up question." She leaned a little closer. "Why did you wait so long to kiss me? I mean…" she tried to find the words.

"Why did I pull you down?"

"Yeah."

He reached out and took her hand. "You had to be desperate for it to work. I could have done it at a time such as now, and it would have no effect. Like I said, I'm sorry."

She took her hand from his grip and patted his shoulder. "I'm over it now. It was terrifying at the time, but now I have this cool power, and I don't have to be so afraid of the water."

He smiled. "Well, that's good."

"Another question…did we bond?"

His face flushed. "Excuse me?"

"Camicazi asked if you had bonded with me and you said no, did we bond in the water?"

"Oh! No, no, no…I just gave you my breath."

"So, is bonding a part of sex?"

Instead of blushing harder, his nose crinkled in confusion. "Why would I want to have sex with you?"

Ouch.

Obviously, he didn't know the implications of his words. Regardless, her eyebrow quirked upward as a small frown pulled at her lips.

He was smart though, as he recognized the look. "Okay, before you get mad about some social faux pas, hear me out." He leaned a little closer to make sure no one heard them. "I know the mechanics of sex. I've been taught about it by the elders. But in our culture, remember, mermaids drown their mates. They lure them into the water, rape them, kill them, and then eat them. Is that what you want?"

She shook her head vehemently.

"Okay. You see my perspective." He nodded.

"But what _is_ bonding?" She asked.

The merman pursed his lips and swallowed. "It's when a human swears themselves to a mermaid. Trusting her wholly and completely."

"Oh." She said simply. "That's it?"

"There's more to it, but that's the gist of it."

Astrid opened her mouth to ask another question, but she was quickly interrupted. "Let's hear some music!" Stoick boomed over the assembled party.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Gobber cheered, taking out his pipes from seemingly nowhere.

The chief ignored the blacksmith and called over to the guest, "Hiccup!"

The merman perked up in question.

"Sing us a song, lad!"

Hiccup flinched heavily. "I can't sing." He hoped the chief would just leave it there.

"Nonsense! You said it yourself! Merfolk have the most beautiful singing voices!"

"Correction, I _don't _sing. Trust me, you don't want me too."

"Stoick, let him be." Astrid urged.

"Oh come on! Just one song! That's it!"

"No, please." Hiccup practically begged.

"Just one song! It can be short!"

"No, Stoick!" Hiccup shouted and shoved away from the table. However, one wheel caught on a groove in the floor and made him lose his balance.

His chair tipped backwards and he sprawled across the floor. Embarrassed, he tried to push himself up, but it wasn't working. Astrid leapt from her seat and tried to help. He swatted at her. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" He urged.

"Hold still!" The blonde insisted, lifting the boy by his shoulders and easing him onto his chair. He pulled the furs around him tightly, his hands shaking with the effort.

For a while, the merman was able to pretend that he was like the humans. That he was only deprived of his ability to walk. But with the way that everyone was staring at him, whispering, he knew he was only fooling himself. He would never be like them. No matter how much good he did, no matter how well he knew them, he'd always be a stranger.

He never had a chance with Astrid. He rubbed at his eye and riveted his gaze to the floor.

"Ah, well, don't worry about it lad." Stoick said paternally, laying a hand on the boy's head. "Didn't mean to make you upset." The chief turned and waved to Gobber. "Alright, you can play your pipes."

Soft notes flooded into the room, followed by the plucks of strings of a mandolin and harp. Then other players joined in. Soon the hall was a buzz with gaiety and the merman's outburst was forgotten.

Astrid stood and ran her fingers through Hiccup's hair. "It's been a long day. I'm going back to bed."

He nodded, as he long to do the same. "Goodnight Astrid."

After she left, he found himself alone, as the rest of the villagers were preoccupied. He sighed softly to himself and drank his tea. He would sit here until someone took him bad to the forge.

Suddenly his chair jerked as he was pulled away from the table. Looking up, Hiccup was surprised by Stoick leading him out. The man lifted the chair and carried him down the stairs to avoid jostling him. The chief's silence and actions confused the boy, but he went with him. It wasn't like he had a choice...

Down to the docks they went, not a word spoken. The chief parked the chair and then took a seat next to him. He was so large that he still was at eye level with Hiccup. For a few moments, they watched the sun set.

"I'm sorry."

Stoick's sudden voice startled the boy. Hiccup glanced at him, the chief still stared off into the distance. "It's okay. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it. I'm just tired, I guess." He replied.

"That's not what I meant." The man stated, with a sigh. "I'm talking about what happened eleven years ago. Up on that cliff."

The man paused as he watched understanding dawn over the boy's face. "You knew the whole time?"

Stoick nodded solemnly.

"You knew who I was? And you didn't do anything about it?"

"Hiccup—…"

"Ten years Stoick! Ten years that moment has haunted me!" He wanted to stand, but he just pushed hard on the arm rests of his seat. "Do you know what it's like to not have the use of your legs? Do you have any idea what you did to me?!" His cheeks became damp with fury.

"Now wait—…"

"I'm unnatural! I'm a monster! There are no others like me in the world. I'm neither human nor mermaid and it's so frustrating!" He angrily wiped tears away with his hands. "All because you didn't want me!"

"Now that is not true!" Stoick burst. "It killed me to sacrifice you." He sighed and delicately combed Hiccup's hair back. "I considered every possibility, every solution, but none appeased the tribe. I even considered throwing Mildew out into the sea, but that would have made things worse. People would have assumed that I had gone mad, or I was incapable of leading the tribe."

Hiccup sniffed. "But why me? Why did they want to get rid of me so badly?"

"Mildew was convinced that the dragon raids were happening because the gods were angry with you. Why? I have no idea. You were a very good child."

Hiccup smiled faintly.

"He convinced the rest of the tribe and I was left with two options; flee with you and let the village fall into destruction…or do my duty as a chief." Stoick glanced away. "I'm sorry it came to it."

"If you knew it was me, then why have you been so indifferent this whole time?!"

Stoick simpered. "I thought you were dead. Everyone did. From the moment I saw you, part of me knew exactly who you were, then the other, more rational part saw your tail and I decided it couldn't be true. I was sure I was imagining things. I wanted you to stay and be taken care of, but I didn't want to allow myself to give into delusions. Do you understand?"

"The guilt probably didn't help."

"No, it didn't." The chief laughed, sardonically. "I'm sorry it took so long to have this discussion."

"What made you finally do it? I was here all winter…"

"Astrid. Astrid made me do it."

"But she doesn't know who I am…"

"I see the way that you two look at each other. You like her, a lot, if I'm right."

Hiccup blushed.

"And she likes you too. That's the problem."

"Problem?" Hiccup asked, sheepishly, "Why would that be a problem?"

Stoick rubbed his chin, looking for the words. "I don't want to make you anymore upset."

"Okay," Hiccup nodded.

"You aren't human."

"I know."

"But Astrid is."

"Yeah."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Hiccup nodded hard. He had always understood. It was something he struggled with.

"Astrid is going to have to marry some day, and I can have her chasing a dream that will never come true. You can't be together, no matter how much you want to be. _I_ even want you to be with her, I do! But…"

"I understand." Though, Hiccup's voice was thick with emotion. "Just, let her marry someone she loves. Don't force her into something she doesn't want."

Stoick nodded. "I'll do my best."

There was a long moment of silence as Hiccup controlled his breathing, determined not to cry. It was best that they nipped this in the bud, before it turned into something dangerous.

"You've grown well." Stoick commented. "You were such a small babe, born too early. You're mother was so afraid for you, but I was confident you'd be alright. I said that you came early because you were too excited. You needed to see everything you could." Stoick played with the boy's hair again. "I assumed you'd be small all your life. And you may be, but I've seen you grow over the seasons. You'll be a strong lad."

"Thanks dad."

Stoick swelled with happiness at his words. They had just tumbled out so casually, and he felt no need to correct himself. It sounded good, and it sounded right.

"So…you didn't want to get rid of me?" Hiccup's voice was soft.

"Gods no!" Stoick suddenly swept the boy up into his arms and held him tightly. "I loved you very much, Hiccup. I still do. Not a day passes that I don't think about what happened. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that your loss nearly destroyed me. If Astrid hadn't become my responsibility as well, I don't want to think about what would have happened."

Hiccup hesitantly wrapped his shaking arms around his father's neck, and held onto him for many moments in silence. The embrace was indescribable. He was being held by his father, the man that raised him and loved him. The man that was the size of a mountain, and as steady as a rock. He was back in the arms of his father. A strong and sure hold that just seemed to make everything feel alright.

"I'll make it up to you." Stoick said, gripping his son's cheek. "Stay here with us, let me be a father again."

Hiccup's heart ached with desperation. "I…I want to…but—…" He wormed his way out of his father's grasp. "I can't."

"I'll admit that it would be difficult, but nothing we can't handle. We'll add ramps for easy access, and—…."

"No dad." Hiccup said firmly. He slid gently out of his chair and then eased into the frigid water. "I don't belong here."

The chief looked at him crossly. "I don't understand."

"I can't live like this. Not on land. And…" He ducked his head. "I'm afraid I couldn't stay away from Astrid if I did stay."

The man's brow furrowed. "Well, then we continue as we have. You can live in your cave and visit often, we'll chat it up. I'll even come swimming in the summer."

Hiccup shook his head and flicked his tail. "It's be agony." He whispered.

"Are we really that awful?" Stoick met his eyes, desperate.

"No, you're wonderful. I love it on Berk. That's the hard part. I don't belong here." He urged, begging for the man to understand him. "You don't understand how dangerous I am."

"Hoark heard singing and ended up cliff diving. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Hiccup ducked his head sheepishly.

"Oh gods…" Stoick sighed.

"It was an accident." Hiccup begged.

"So that's why you—…" Suddenly his outburst in the Great Hall didn't seem so odd. "I'm so sorry…"

"I can't stay. I can't be with Astrid, no matter how much I want to, and I can't stay no matter how much _you_ want me to."

"Where will you go? What about Toothless?"

"Toothless has a responsibility here now, and I won't try to take it away from him." He closed his eyes. "I'm better off just following the currents."

"You're welcome back at anytime."

"Thank you." He dove under the water, but then quickly surfaced. "I'll continue to watch over Berk from the waters. As far as I'm concerned, this is my home."

With a flick of the tail, he was gone.

The solemn chief was left staring at the rippling waters after the boy left. "It won't be home without you."


	14. The Absence

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. It's probably the shortest one too. But I wanted it to be perfect. And college has been kicking my butt. So yeah. Enjoy, tell me what you think!

When she awoke, her brain was fogged with sleep. She didn't register the silence in the village. The utter grayness that fell like soup. Contentment was set on her soul, as she slept well. No dreams, no nightmares, just hard deep sleep. She attributed it to her swim yesterday, the vast energy she spend. She dressed and made her way downstairs.

"Good morning, Stoick!" She chirped.

He looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Morning lass." He barely grinned.

"You look awful chief, something wrong?"

He rubbed his eyes. "I uh, I didn't sleep well last night."

She simpered. "Party too hard? I told you that feast wasn't a good idea."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Well, I'm going to go take some breakfast to Hiccup. I'll see you later." Happily, she practically skipped out the door.

Stoick didn't have the heart to stop her. He stood, knowing he'd have to answer for Hiccup instead. So down to the docks he went, and waited.

The wheelchair sat alone and the end of the dock, the foggy morning settling in the atmosphere. The great man sighed heavily and rested his hands on his waist. So badly he wanted Hiccup to pop out of the water and give some sort of crack about the man's weight. But the surface stayed tranquil, and only the soft sounds of waves on the shore broke the silence.

She would head to the forge first, he figured, and then interrogate Gobber. When he claims that Hiccup didn't come home last night, she'll search for him. Maybe ask the twins or Snotlout, but inevitably…

"Hiccup?" A soft voice called from behind him. He heard her soft footsteps as she drew closer, and knew he couldn't hide it any longer.

"He's gone, lass."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"He's left."

She came closer. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

Stoick turned ever so slightly to look at her. "He's not coming back."

Her silence was painful as she stared at him. "Not coming—…?" Her words caught in her throat. "No! You're lying! Hiccup!"

The chief only had seconds to whirl around and grab her before she leapt into the sea. "No Astrid! It's too cold for you!"

She scratched at his arms. "Let me go! I have to find him! I have to convince him to come back!" She moaned, fighting his grip.

"Astrid he's gone! Stop it!"

Weakly, she stopped fighting and slumped in his arms. A sob escaped her throat before she whispered, "He didn't even say goodbye."

"Maybe it was for the best…" He used his freehand to pet her hair.

"Was it something I did?" She looked up with tearful eyes.

Stoick wanted to be honest, so badly, so he hugged her. "My dear, he said it was too hard to stay with us…where he didn't belong."

"But he does belong! He's one of us! He's proved himself!"

"Astrid, please don't kid yourself. I wanted him to stay too, but we both knew it was inevitable."

She rubbed her eyes with her palms. "He's my best friend. He's the only one who ever understood me."

"Aye lass." He didn't even try to deny it. "But…I'm sure that someday he'll come back."

"I sure hope so."

The chief eased the girl's hair over her shoulder and began to fix her braid. "Time will ease the pain lass. It hurts now, but…you'll get used to it."

She rubbed her eyes again. "Chief…I can't stop crying…" She whimpered.

"It's okay." He swept her bags away. "Crying is not a sign of weakness, but a show of heart."

For the first time since the passing of her parents, Astrid couldn't remember crying so hard.

—

Day after day, Astrid wandered down to the dock to sit. For the first few weeks, Stoick let her stay there, understanding that she was mourning for the loss of something beautiful. Hiccup's wheelchair remained where he had left it, so when he returned he could use it once again.

Then spring had officially sprung, as rhine roses and lilies came into blossom. Even so, they colors seemed dull. Even the sky was grayer and the sun didn't seem as bright. Astrid was urged back into training for the chiefdom. She filled her free time helping with the dragons, or doing work around the village, anything to keep from thinking about the boy she missed so dearly. She figured Stoick knew what he was talking about when she would get over it. After all, he had lost his wife and child. The chief, of all people, would know what it's like so miss someone dear.

But he was wrong.

Maybe he lied. Maybe it was different because they were gone forever. Maybe he was just in denial. Who knows.

But the phrase, 'absence makes the heart grow stronger' resinated with the blonde. She hated how much she needed him. Astrid prided herself on being independent and strong, but then Hiccup came and changed all that. At night she dreamt of his nasally, comical voice. His knowledge and wisdom stuck with her. During her meetings with the council, she often found herself scratching crude images into her notes, vague lines that depicted fins. After the meetings, she would angrily rub the charcoal away.

One sure anchor Hiccup had to Berk was Toothless. The alpha dragon came and went as needed. Sometimes he left at night and returned in the morning. Sometimes he slept in the forge, and other times still, he disappeared for days on end. She knew he was off with his friend. It was good, she supposed. They needed each other, despite their convictions.

More then once, the idea of going with Toothless to find Hiccup crossed her mind. Go and find him, and reason with him to come back. But she never went through with it. She respected Hiccup too much. There was a reason he was staying away, and she didn't want to hurt him.

Even though he was hurting her.

Summer came and still no sign of the merman. Several times, she grew desperate and climbed down the cliff side. She never reached his cave though, the rocks were too dangerous. She tried swimming to it, but she was at least thankful that she could breathe underwater, since she still couldn't actually swim.

Stoick's patience was wearing thin, but he respected Hiccup's request. Marriage proposals came to Berk from various tribes, all with prosperous grooms; wealthy, handsome, strong...but not Hiccup.

Without even meeting them, she turned them all down.

"Lass, don't you think you could at least give someone a chance? Pick one, just one, and sit down and talk to him! You might like him!"

"No. I won't have a political marriage."

Stoick ran a hand down his face. "It's not so much of a political marriage as stability for the future. I want to make sure you're taken care of. I want to see you with a child!"

"Well, that's not what I want."

"What do you want then? What would make you happy?"

She sat silently before saying, "I think you know."

"Yes, but that's not possible. He's gone."

"I know...and I can't get over it..." She whispered.

"Well you need to. Grow up, Astrid."

She pursed her lips into a thin line.

"I promised Hiccup something before he left. I promised that I'd let you marry for love. And I won't go back on that promise...but I will arrange for you to meet with these boys."

"Why? You know I care deeply for Hiccup!"

"But it's not practical! He is not human! Don't you get it?! It won't work! You can't be with him!"

"That's where you're wrong." She bit.

"How then exactly?!" He shouted. "Are you going to sprout fins? Are you going to start eating raw fish and seaweed!? You don't even know where he is! Let alone if he even wants you!" Stoick suddenly stopped and realized he had said too much. "I—…"

Astrid's nostrils flared. "Since when are you so cruel?" Astrid whispered. "What did I ever do to make you say such awful things? Is it wrong for me to dream?"

He clenched his eyes shut and urged, "It won't work."

"We'll see." She nodded. "When he returns."

—

Fall. Astrid made her way down to the docks. It was one of those rare days where she just needed to sit and gaze out at sea. Her heart yearned a little for her best friend. When she reached them, she found Gobber sitting next to the wheelchair that was now rusted and warped.

"Hello lass." The man called, not looking to her.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else comes down this dock?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"A bit, I'm afraid."

She sighed and sat next to him. "I don't know what's wrong with me. It's been six months since he left us."

"Aye."

"He was only here for a few months anyway! I don't understand…Is it possible to grow so attached to someone so quickly?"

"Well lass, I think you two had more in common then you anticipated."

"He's a…monster, Gobber."

"You don't believe that." The blacksmith shrugged. "Don't let other people tell you what to think. Now, I'm not talking about outside appearances."

"Okay, what do we have in common?" Astrid pressed.

"Well, kindness, for one."

"I'm not kind." She denied.

"Oh? I think if you weren't, you would have killed that boy on the day you caught him. You had compassion and cared for him. You defended him."

She paused as she considered him. "What else?"

"Knowledge and wisdom…cleverness."

She smiled. "That is true."

"And you both have a heart for the tribe. Hiccup helped train the dragons after all. He saved you."

"That's…true too."

"Most importantly…you are both destined for greatness."

Astrid glanced up to the man she had depended on all these years. "You think so?"

"I know so." He rubbed her head. "You wreak of potential."

She laughed. "Thanks Gobber." Her eyes went back out to sea. "Still, I can't help but want him back."

"Of course lass. That you should." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "The lad…some birds just can't be kept, their feathers are too bright. When they fly away, you know it's a sin to hold them back. But still, the world they leave behind is just as dull and drab as always."

She nodded. "Yeah. Something like that." Then, she stood. "I'll see you later."

As she sauntered back up the dock, she turned for a moment and looked wistfully out to the sea. "Are you sure we didn't bond?" She whispered.

But she knew it couldn't be so. He would have come back to her.

—

Winter.

When your heart breaks, it can heal crooked, twisted, strange. Astrid's heart chipped away little by little everyday she was left in silence from the merman. Now, what was left was cold, like the ice that littered the ground. The wheelchair still sat, covered in snow. She didn't bother cleaning it off. Why should she?

He wasn't coming back.

Solemnly, the blonde stood by the cliff side in a warm fur frock. Her arms folded over her chest. Over the past year, she had grown into a fine young woman. Her beauty brought on even more proposals for her to reject. She was as divine as she was clever, and cross as she was strong. Still, her pain isolated her from the rest of the tribe.

Not that she wasn't an outcast already.

She loved Berk, she really did. It had it's charms and queer delights, but it wasn't enough. Not anymore. A piece was missing, and so was her heart. She longed to see the cove alight with glittering gold from the hidden sunsets, the water aglow in the dark of the night, and graceful fins…slick with shimmering scales and svelte muscles. She hadn't realized the strength of her affections for the boy until it was too late. Now they were too strong to break off.

And it was suffocating.

Torn between two worlds. Never content to belong to one. It was another trait the blonde had in common with the merman. So vastly was she altered, she was past the point of no return.

"Hey Astrid." A calm voice spoke. "What's a pretty young thing doing out here by yourself?"

"Get lost, Snotlout." She bit, without turning around.

He held up his hands in defense. "Whoa whoa hey, I'm just here to talk..."

Out of all the marriage proposals, Snotlout's was the most persistent. Even before Hiccup had entered their lives, he seemed to be under the delusion that she was into him. Granted, he was the most likely and the most eligible. Spitelout, Hiccup's uncle, did assume that Snotlout would take up the role of heir, even if they were related to Valka's side of the family. By marrying Astrid, Snotlout would have a higher rank in the village.

To give him some credit, he did like Astrid. For superficial reasons, but still, he liked her. And to some degree cared about her happiness. He wasn't completely shallow.

"What?" The blonde asked with a sigh.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing..."

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes.

"Okay look, here's the thing." He scratched the back of his head. "We both know this was coming."

She grunted.

"Facts need to be faced, I mean, you're strong and hot, little temperamental, but hey, I don't hold that against you."

"Snotlout..."

"And I'm capable of protecting you, better then most of your suitors."

That was true, she would venture to say.

"We've known each other our whole lives practically. We're the best combination." He kicked the dirt at his feet. "Once I turned sixteen, my dad urged me to get the talks started. I tried my best to put it off, but he's losing his patience. I figured I'd talk to you first, at least."

She sighed. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should put away childish thoughts. Maybe growing up and doing what her guardian wanted was best for her. Best for the tribe. It was time to let things go.

"Astrid, will you marry me?"

"I—..."

_Astrid..._

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"Will you marry me?" He reiterated.

_Astrid..._

It wasn't Snotlout. Someone was calling for her, singing her name. The voice was foreign but so familiar, one that sent chills up her spine. It couldn't be...there was no way.

"No..."

"No? What do you mean no?"

_Astrid..._

She was no longer listening. Like a string, her name pulled her away. Her feet were moving her slowly over to the cliff face as the siren's call beckoned her to the sea. Could he hear it? Did he know? Must not, as he was still yelling.

"What is it? Is there someone else? Are you seeing another man?!"

The question didn't register in her head. "Hiccup..."

"Hiccup?! He's not a man! He's a fish!"

_Astrid…_

She could hear his voice across the moorland skies.

"Astrid? Astrid!" Snotlout tried to get her attention, but she ventured closer to the dangerous edge. "Wait! Astrid!"

She stepped off the edge.

"ASTRID!"

Her feet left the solid ground as she plummeted to the icy depths below.


	15. The Truth

Living in Berk meant that the cold was always biting at your fingers. And your ears. And your toes. And basically your entire body. Being cold was a sign of being alive.

There had only been one other time when she had been so warm. And judging by the throbbing heartbeat in her ear, she hoped it was for the same reason. Astrid kept her eyes shut, lest she wake up and spoil the dream. She focused on the sensations she was feeling. The wind howling through crevasses to tickle at her neck, the musky scent of smoke and salty air, and the warm feeling of skin upon her own. She soon came to realize that her clothes had been removed. Furs wrapped around her waist, most likely to keep her from getting scratched on his sharp fins. She could feel his ribs moving under her fingertips.

She should have been embarrassed. She should have jumped away from him and demanded for her clothes back. But she didn't. The warm pleasure of flesh against flesh was enough to stifle any obtrusive thoughts. She had seen Heather and Cami and they didn't wear clothing. This was normal to Hiccup. There was no need to fight it.

She was home.

Carefully, she opened her eyes and looked up to her forgotten friend. The year had done well for him. His plump nose no longer looked comedic as the rest of his face had filled out and turned to sharp angles. His jaw was strong and sporting scruffy hairs. His cheeks were still dusted with freckles. Under his proud brow, his long eyelashes were closed to sleep, but she longed to see the divinely green orbs that hid behind.

Gently, she reached out and cupped his face, rubbing her thumb along his cheek bones. His eyes blinked open and slid over to her.

"Hello." He whispered, his voice hadn't changed.

"Hi." She squeaked back.

He grinned widely, and she felt his fingers spidering up and down her back. "I missed you."

She felt her lips pulling into a matching smile. "I missed you too."

Her haze was suddenly lifted as she pushed herself up on her elbows. "What happened? How did I get here?"

His brows furrowed, "I should be asking you the same thing. I just got back from a trip to Serica with Cami, where I was for the last month. One minute I'm climbing into bed to take a nap, and the next, Toothless emerges from the water, you in his mouth."

The blonde glanced down to below the hammock where the reptile was slumbering.

"So what _did_ happen?"

She had to rewind the events in her head. What had started the whole mess?

_She was standing on the cliff face, then Snotlout came and started talking to her. Then she stepped off the cliff. _

_Holy shit, she stepped off a cliff! _

"Snotlout proposed to me." She blurted.

Hiccup pushed up on his arm as well, bringing his chest back into contact with her. "What?"

She shook her head, "yeah, I was out on the cliff side, just looking out on the water, and then Snotlout proposed to me."

"What did you say?"

"I think I said no…but I don't think I gave him a proper answer."

"Oh. Okay."

Astrid was vaguely aware of his hand sliding lower on her back. "Anyway…" She whispered. After all, he was so close to her. She readjusted her stance and sat up on her knees, straddling his tail. "I heard a voice and I followed it...right off the edge."

His eyes widened. "A mermaid's? Didn't you wear your ring?"

"Yes. But…" She dared to look him in the eye. "It was a man's voice."

Hiccup's lips parted to speak, but he was silent. He blinked a few times and then became startled. "What did he say?"

"He was calling my name."

Hiccup's eyes slammed shut. "Oh gods…"

"What?"

"It was me…" He shook his head.

"Yeah…?"

"I wasn't even thinking…I was…I came back, and I was thinking about you and your name just…" He pressed himself to her. "I'm so sorry Astrid…I didn't mean to hurt you."

"But how did it happen? I mean, I wore my ring, isn't that supposed to block it out?"

"Not if I'm singing directly to you." He shook his head. "Gods Astrid, I'm so so sorry…"

Astrid wrapped her arms around him tightly, sure and strong. She just wanted to be in his arms. "It's okay. At least I got to see you again."

He simpered. "Sorry…"

"Stoick explained it to me. He said you didn't feel like you belonged on Berk."

He held her at arms length. "I don't—…"

"But you do! You must have seen how everyone reacted to you! We love you!"

Hiccup glanced away. "Regardless…is that all that Stoick said?"

"Well, yes. Mostly."

He nodded. "Good."

"He also said that he promised you that he'd let me marry for love."

Hiccup smiled. "And that's why Snotlout proposed?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I'm so done with talk of marriage!" She slid passed him and flopped down on the hammock. She pulled the furs up around her, now feeling a bit embarrassed with her state of dress.

Hiccup laid beside her. "Oh no please, I'm curious. What brought this on?"

She grunted. "Snotlout has always thought we'd get married."

"I know. He told me."

"He told _you?! _Of course he did." She rolled her eyes. "I'll be seventeen in december, so all these marriage proposals from different tribes have been rolling in. But, thanks to you, I've been allowed to turn them all down. So thanks for that."

He grinned.

"I think that Stoick assumed that I might actually accept Snotlout's request. I mean, I might have…if things were different."

"What things?"

She glanced at his neck before meeting his eyes. "If I hadn't met you."

He blushed and looked away.

Astrid sighed wistfully. "I wish I could stay here. Here, where I have talked face to face with what I delight in. An original, with vigorous and expanded mind. I'd grieve to be separated from this haven once again. I don't want to return to gray skies and cold hearts. I want to stay here with you."

Hiccup's voice was even. "A cave is no place for a lady."

She snorted. "I'm not a lady. I'm a shield maiden. I can handle it." Then she sat up again, stretching.

Hiccup's eyes traced the outline of her figure then regarded her. "Does that bother you?"

"What?"

He tripped on his wording. "Well, you—you're unclothed. I took them off because they were wet, but I know you said that human's only bare themselves to spouses and parents?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Then…?"

"Do _you_ mind it?"

"No, not at all. I don't really understand the purpose of clothing except for warmth."

"That's what I thought." She glanced downward.

"Ah, about that…I don't know what goes on down there…I didn't think I should study you without permission."

She smiled and adjusted the furs on her lap. "Thank you." Delicately, she pulled the leather cord from her hair and shook out her gold, damp locks.

He gaped in awe. "You look like a mermaid like that."

She smirked at him, coyly, then continued to pick at the tangles in her hair. "If you're curious, I'll save you the trouble." She suddenly blushed, realizing what she was talking about. "Oh gods this is awkward."

"Astrid, I am a full grown man...sort of. I can handle it."

She shook her head. "Well, between the legs is where babies comes from."

"You mean eggs?" He asked.

"Uh, Sort of? I mean, the eggs are inside the womb, and the vagina is sort of like the opening?"

"Oh, that's right, humans have their young grow inside them." He nodded.

Her brows furrowed in curiosity. "Then what about mermaids?"

"They lay eggs, like fish."

"Oh…" She nodded. "So, the eggs are already fertilized when they lay them?"

"Yeah, that happens in the process of…the drowning." He gave a helpless shrug. "Then she lays them in a safe place."

"How many?"

"It varies. Maybe ten to twenty. Only around five will hatch. And she'll be lucky if they make it to childhood."

"So mermaids are sort of endangered..." She sighed sadly.

"Yeah, well, their mating habits aren't the most practical."

"I suppose not." She huffed. Then, she cleared her throat. "Um, anyways, since we're on the subject...how did you end up being the only merman? Rare egg?"

He grew solemn and moved his gaze away.

"I know you don't like talking about it..." She offered.

"No, it's fine. I've prolonged this conversation long enough. I owe you an explanation."

She gazed at him patiently.

"I wasn't..." He sighed. "I wasn't born a merman. I was born a human."

Her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. "...what?"

"You know how Stoick let me stay because I reminded him of his son?"

"No, you're not saying..."

"I _am_ Hiccup. The Hiccup that the village talks about in hushed tones. I was thrown into the sea when I was only five. Yes, I remember it and Stoick...my father, is the only other one who knows."

"The mermaids?"

"Never knew my origins, though I'm sure they guessed."

Astrid bit her lip, trying with all her might to understand. "How? How did this happen to you?"

He thought back, tried to recall all that happened and discern what was skewed by nightmares. "I had a dream, after I fell. I dreamt of a woman, maybe a phantom...and she told me that I wasn't done yet. When I woke up, I had...scales and fins." He shrugged. At her confused face, he laughed weakly. "I know, it's weird."

"A little unbelievable..."

"Well, after aimlessly swimming around, a mermaid named Bertha, who had lost all of her pups, found me and took me to the school. They sort of protected me, but when I was old enough, they let me out on my own. I think since I'm a man, it made it hard for them to relate to me." He shrugged and shifted his gaze to her awestruck face. "So, yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think you'd believe me...and right before I left is when I found out Stoick knew. He had his hunches, but that was when he was sure of it."

"I just..." She shook her head. "This changes things..."

"I know. Look, I'm sorry, but I knew you needed the truth. I care a lot about you, and I didn't want to keep hiding this from you."

"So...you're Berk's heir!"

"Yeah."

"You could claim it! Do you know how cool that would be?"

"Astrid, I can't."

"I mean, it's super easy, and I could help you with it! A few words from Stoick and there'd be no doubt!"

"Astrid, I _can't_." He urged.

She stopped her tirade and evaluated him. "If...if Stoick knew about you...then why did you leave? Why did he even let you leave?"

"There were a lot of reasons. But this was the main one." He looked to his tail and flicked his fins. "I love Berk. I grieved I leave it. But I just couldn't fit in. No matter how hard I tried, or wanted to. Regardless if I was human in the past. I'm not human now." Absently, he smoothed a hand over his scales. "As much as the villagers regarded me with kindness, there was still a point in time where they wanted me dead. I can't just forget about that."

Astrid gazed down to her lap. Gently, she raised her hand and grazed his scales with her finger tips. "What were the other reasons for leaving?" She whispered. "Did I do something?"

He leaned a little closer to her and covered her hand with his own. "I'm afraid you did."

"What?"

"Stoick said if I was staying, I wasn't allowed to see you. He said he didn't want you dreaming for something impossible to happen. But I told him it would be too hard to do that, so I left instead."

"Hiccup..."

"But...I think...it doesn't matter anymore."

Whatever Astrid was going to say was caught in her throat. Her breath hitched as she trembled. Her lips just barely grazed his own, just for a second.

His tongue flicked out and wetted his lips and that was all the sign that she needed. Astrid planted her hand on his chest and pushed him back to the hammock.

Before he could even blink, she had her hands tangled in his hair as she desperately kissed him. Her lips fumbled messily over his before he took the reigns and kissed her back. His lips were warm, and sweet, and wonderful, just as she had always imagined. His scent enveloped her in a familiar embrace as a syrupy feeling began to churn in her body. Blood fled to her cheeks, making her warm with passion and thrilled to the bone. His fingers dug into her skin, leaving little crescent shapes behind. Overcome with longing and desire, Astrid tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She wanted to be wholly and completely overwhelmed by him. Her hands snaked to around his neck, and then down his chest. She tasted his lips with her tongue, revealing in the salty flavor. He gasped slightly and granted her access to his smart mouth. He hummed and groaned as she did the same. Love was a great thing, Astrid decided, and she had made the right choice. Her lips skirted over his face, leaving affectionate kisses over his cheek and jaw.

Hiccup muttered her name in devotion as she gnawed at the sensitive skin of his neck. His head was a buzz with ecstasy.

Astrid returned to his lips and gave several delicate caresses, just enough to make him want more. Her nose nudged against his as she bored her eyes into his own impossibly green. Her breaths were labored as she panted. She whispered, ever so gently, "I love you."

The slight ministrations the merman was doing halted as his eyes opened fully. "What?"

Embarrassed, but not ashamed, the blonde nodded a bit with sincerity. "I love you."

The merman pulled away from her, staring all the while. He sat up, using his elbows as a prop. His eyes were wide with surprise and something else. Fear? Excitement? She couldn't tell, not with the pulse pounding in her ears.

"W-would you say something? You're making me nervous." She blushed. Subconsciously, she pulled the furs closer around her, to hide. But his hands had not left their place.

Before he could respond, his body seized frightfully as he groaned. His back arched and he slid out of the hammock and onto the wood floor.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried fearfully. She leapt from the bed and knelt next to his writhing form. "Oh what do I do?! What's wrong!? What do you need?!"

Hiccup hissed and growled as his body twisted and contorted. He began to secrete a green slime from his pores.

"Is it water? Do you need water?" She grabbed his arm and pulled. The goo made him slip from her grip. It also made things sticky, and almost glued him to the floor.

"What's happening?!" She panicked.

Thankfully for Astrid, there was someone else in the room that was able to help. Toothless had been alerted at Hiccup's first grunt of pain, and once he saw the boy was having some sort of fit, he dove into the water.

Astrid could only sit and watch, desperate to do something to help him. She filled a bowl with water and dumped it on him, hoping that would ease his convulsions, but the liquid only beaded up and rolled off of him. Hiccup coughed and choked.

"I don't know what to do!" She cried.

"Wait!" A woman's voice called. In the midst of her hysteria, Astrid didn't hear the mystical beings surfacing. Camicazi and Heather had appeared along with another blonde woman, much larger then the other two. She had her long blonde hair braided and adorned with shells and bones. She was stout, but very beautiful. Her voice was shrill and gave Astrid goosebumps. No doubt, this woman was in authority.

Astrid evaluated the mermaid as Toothless climbed back up on the shelf and waited patiently nearby.

"What's wrong with him?" The girl finally whispered.

The older mermaid ignored her and looked back to Heather. "Is this the human you were talking about? The one he befriended?"

"Yeah," replied the brunette.

"She's the one who caught him." Camicazi added.

Astrid scooted back in fear. "It was an accident." She pleaded. "And this, whatever I did…I didn't mean it!"

The elder narrowed her eyes. "Oh you most certainly meant it. If you didn't, this wouldn't have happened." She placed her hands on the edge of the shelf and pulled herself up to sit. "I am Bertha, I cared for Hiccup when he was a pup." She provided.

"He's spoken of you." Astrid tried to be hospitable. "Is he going to be alright? What's going on?"

"What did you say to him? Right before this happened?"

"I-I-I—….I told him…that I loved him."

Bertha laughed humorlessly and looked around. "That would do it." She seemed to spot something and scooted over to get it.

"What? What did I do?!"

The mermaid took up a golden bladed knife and unsheathed it, admiring it's shine. "You began a bond with him." Her eyes locked onto Astrid. "Now we must finish it."


End file.
